Browns, Nick Chubb Reportedly Have Deal in Place
According to multiple reports, the Cleveland Browns and running back Nick Chubb may have a deal in place for an extension. Chubb is entering the final year of his rookie deal and both sides are motivated to get a deal done.
Mike Jones of USA Today was first to report a deal was in place, though he had the deal at four years.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network then reported that it was a three-year deal worth $36.6 million over three years with $20 million guaranteed.
The framework of the deal becomes extremely important if Rapoport's numbers are true. Should Chubb have a relatively low salary in 2022, in line with the contracts the Browns have been giving out, they could keep both Chubb and Kareem Hunt, who is scheduled to earn $6.25 million the same season.
If Chubb's salary in 2022 is high, the team might be forced to make a move with Hunt to try to save salary.
One other thing that could be part of the deal is a possible out in the third year. However, given the fact that Chubb's overall salary is pretty reasonable, that may have been a trade off his agent eliminated in order to make sure he gets all three years.
The past two seasons, Chubb is averaging 91.4 yards rushing per game. Adding his receiving yards, it jumps to 106.7. It likely would've been the same his rookie year if the Browns had a head coach with the ability to see his exceptional gifts and give him the ball.
Last season in the playoffs, this became Baker Mayfield's team, but on pure ability, no one is better than Chubb. Chubb is one of three players the Browns are potentially looking to get extensions completed before the season along with Mayfield and Denzel Ward.
One of the reasons the Browns have been encouraged to get a deal with Chubb is so the team knows exactly how much they have to work with getting players like Mayfield and Ward now as well as players like guard Wyatt Teller, safety Ronnie Harrison and tight David Njoku down the road.
Having a Chubb deal done should help pave the way to getting other extensions done, which helps the Browns as they have a ton they'd like to be able to iron out to keep their team together for the next few years.
When asked about a potential contract extension in June, one of the things Chubb cited as being important to him was certainty.
"I don't like uncertainty and I know here in Cleveland what I have with the players and coaches, just the city of Cleveland. I don't know how would things would be anywhere else, so Cleveland's where I want to be and that's my main focus, being here in Cleveland." - Nick Chubb
Chubb has that certainty with this deal and it's in Cleveland.
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