If Cleveland Browns fans needed any more evidence that the Nick Chubb era is likely over, they got it on Friday.
According to a report from Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, Browns running back Jerome Ford recently accepted a pay cut with the franchise that reduces his 2025 salary from $3.4 million to $1.75 million.
It’s a move that will officially keep the 2022 fifth-round pick with the Browns next season, in what is the final year of his rookie deal. And one that all but closes the door on a potential Chubb return this offseason.
Chubb’s future reportedly hinged on whether or not Ford would accept the pay cut or not. Had he turned it down, the Browns were willing to explore trading the three-year veteran and then could have explored a reunion with the No. 3 rusher in franchise history.
There were already plenty of doubts about Chubb re-signing with Cleveland over the last few months. Particularly after general manager Andrew Berry made it known that the four-time Pro Bowler would be testing the free agent market.
Those doubts only grew after the team selected two running backs in last weekend’s NFL Draft, including Ohio State star Quinshon Judkins in the second round and SEC Player of the Year, Dylan Sampson out of Tennessee in the fourth.
It sets the stage for a changing of the guard in the Browns backfield in 2025, headlined by two rookies and Ford, who has rushed for 1,390 yards and seven touchdowns during his first three years.
The 25-year-old has also caught 81 passes for 544 yards and an additional five TDs. What his role will look like moving forward is likely to take shape in the coming months.
