Derrick Henry’s deal will influence the Cleveland Browns offer Nick Chubb

Derrick Henry’s new deal with the Tennessee Titans will influence what the Cleveland Browns offer Nick Chubb.

If you’re curious what Nick Chubb will want as far as a new contract go, don’t look any further than Derrick Henry’s current contract situation with the Tennessee Titans. Henry agreed to a four-year, $50 million dollar contract that includes $25.5 million guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal, while details are scare, will average out to be about $12.5 million a year. That’s about the number the Cleveland Browns will need to give Chubb if they want to keep him happy.

Chubb and Henry are right at the top of the game’s best running backs, maybe slightly behind Saquon Barkley and the best back in the league, Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey himself just signed a new deal in 2002 as well. His deal will see him make over $12.5 million for the first two years, and then $16+ million in the next two years.

Due to McCaffrey being as versatile, and dynamic as he is, Chubb shouldn’t expect $16 million a year. Nor should the Browns offer him that. McCaffrey can easily be a Pro Bowl player at any skilled position on offense, Chubb simply doesn’t have that high of a level of skill with regards to catching the ball. He’s no slouch but he isn’t going to torch opposing defenses for 150 yards as a receiver.

McCaffrey is the best running back since Marshall Faulk. Chubb is really good, he’s just not that good. So $12 million a year seems about right.

Don’t expect a deal to be done this year, however. With David Njoku, Kareem Hunt, and Olivier Vernon‘s contracts on the books for 2020, it would make sense that the Browns would want to wait on giving Chubb an extension when their salary cap situation clears up some. The Browns still have a lot of cap space, but that money may be needed as the season continues. It’s best to replace Njoku, Hunt, and Vernon’s cap space with the money you’d be giving to Chubb. That way you don’t take away from the surplus that you currently have.

Chubb deserves an extension, as he’s arguably the best pure runner in the game. Now that Henry has set the market, it’s time to see how the Browns and Chubb respond.