Nick Chubb’s contract is on the “bubble” going into the offseason

Browns salary cap is flexible but Chubb’s contract could add to that

The NFL offseason seems to start the minute the Super Bowl ends. So far we’ve seen Mitch Trubisky cut loose, Nelson Agholor extended and a report that a couple of free agents will not get franchise tagged.

We’ve even seen a Pittsburgh columnist encourage the Steelers to trade TJ Watt to get a quarterback and another report that Pittsburgh is unlikely to seek an upgrade at quarterback this offseason.

With the NFL combine starting next week, the NFL draft will start to be the focus for a bit before the opening of NFL free agency. For the Cleveland Browns, the draft and a flexible salary cap should help them build their roster.

The Browns 2023 season was marred by injuries especially losing RB Nick Chubb for the season in Week 2. Chubb has since undergone two surgeries and may not return until after the season starts. While Cleveland’s running back has been the most explosive back in the league, his contract places him on the bubble this offseason according to one salary cap related site:

The Browns absolutely want a healthy Nick Chubb leading their offense again, but that might be easier said than done at this point. The reality here is that an organization with -$20M of cap space right now, probably needs to get out of this Chubb deal, freeing up $11.8M of cap in doing so. A reunion on a much more team-friendly contract can certainly be hammered out in succession.

Cleveland did something similar with OL Jack Conklin a couple of seasons ago as he was returning from a knee injury.

It will be interesting to see how the Browns proceed with Chubb. He’s a vital part of the offense but his injury was significant and running backs tend to hit walls very quickly at the NFL level.

2024 is the final year of Chubb’s current deal with none of his money guaranteed. If Cleveland cuts him, they owe $4 million in dead cap but save almost $12 million.

A reworked deal seems best for both parties.

How do you think the Browns and Chubb deal with his contract this offseason?