REPORT: Cleveland Browns Releasing Superstar Running Back Could Solve Teams 2024 Salary Cap Dilemna

The Cleveland Browns have pushed the limit on their finances but may have finally hit the wall.

There is some tremendous irony that while many see the professional football as a symbol of capitalism in America, the NFL is without a doubt the most socialist professional sports organization in the world.  The individual teams essentially profit share on both attendance and endorsements while the NFL Draft and salary cap maintain parity and competitiveness amongst the teams.

The salary cap specifically is a beautiful thing for the game as it forces teams to evaluate a player’s value on the field to what they can afford.  There are countless free agent signings and contract terminations during this week every single year and there are usually a few surprises mixed in.  Unfortunately, I am predicting that one huge surprise will be coming from the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland Browns Expected to Release Superstar to Lower Salaries Against the Cap

As of this moment, the Browns are approximately $11 million over the leagues established $255.4 million salary cap for the 2024 season.  In order for the team to get below that number, they’re going to need to either restructure some contracts or release some players to the free agency pool.  Unfortunately for the team, there is one obvious but depressing candidate that would be the perfect fit to be released.

During his tenure with Cleveland, superstar running back Nick Chubb has been a staple of the smash mouth offense that this team has personified throughout their existence.  With an established offensive line, Chubb has been one of the strongest running backs in football while he has amassed over 6,500 rushing yards and 48 rushing touchdowns over the course of his career.  He is certainly an iconic player for the team.

The problem is that Chubb will be 28 years old this year which has typically indicated the tipping point in the prime of the modern NFL running back’s career.  On top of that, the superstar back tore both his ACL and MCL in his knee last season and will have to recover from that.  While it is certainly possible that he could be back with the team at full strength next season, there is so much risk involved here for Cleveland with a salary cap hit of $15 million for Chubb next season.

There is always the possibility that the team can convince Chubb to renegotiate his contract to a much lower salary but after the entire position has been beaten down over the past few years on value, it is unlikely that one of the leading advocates for better pay for running backs would be willing to do that.  The team already went out and signed Nyhiem Hines as both a backup and potential alternative if it comes to that for Cleveland.

Chubb is a spectacular player but his release would undeniably solve a long list of problems for the Cleveland Browns.

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