12 Browns Entering Their Final Season With Cleveland
By Cem Yolbulan
The Cleveland Browns are entering a make-or-break season, starting with their Week 1 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. They are hoping to be healthier this season to properly evaluate how good this team is. Deshaun Watson needs to prove that he is the franchise quarterback and can lead this team to glory. Otherwise, there will likely be significant changes in the next offseason.
Regardless of the outcome of this season, there are players who are unlikely to return for another year. Either for contractual, financial, or aging reasons, these 12 Browns are suiting up for their last regular season opener in Cleveland.
Nick Chubb, RB
The star rusher is entering the final season of the three-year, $36.6 million deal he signed back in 2021. Chubb and the Browns reworked that deal this past spring but the four-time Pro Bowler's future with the team past this season remains a big question mark.
Chubb notably suffered a torn MCL and a damaged ACL against the Steelers in Week 2 last season. He hasn't played since then and is due to miss the first four games of this season.
By the time Chubb's contract is up, he will be 29 years old. How he performs coming off the injury will determine his future in the NFL. Considering the track record of running backs with a ton of miles on their legs as they approach 30, the Browns may be hesitant to give him an extension, increasing the likelihood of Chubb's eighth season in Cleveland being his last.