(Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
It’s no secret that the Cleveland Browns quarterback situation is a complete mess.
The roster now includes Deshaun Watson and his twice-torn Achilles, plus a $72.9 million cap hit, plus newcomer Kenny Pickett, for whom the Browns just traded a fifth-round pick.
It’s not nearly enough to get this fanbase excited again, which is why The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is warning the team about the repercussions of failing to make another big splash at quarterback before the 2025 season.
Simmons took to X to stress how rough it would be if the Browns passed on Shedeur Sanders at No. 2 in the draft if he winds up being a star somewhere else.
“There’s been a lot of heartbreak with Cleveland sports these past 60 years, but passing on Sanders at #2 and opting for a Kenny Pickett/injured Deshaun Watson combo would be way up there.”
There’s been a lot of heartbreak with Cleveland sports these past 60 years, but passing on Sanders at #2 and opting for a Kenny Pickett/injured Deshaun Watson combo would be way up there.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) March 16, 2025
Browns fans have all seen those viral jerseys that include every Browns quarterback of the past 20+ years with their names crossed off on the back as an ode to just how many potential franchise guys have come and gone throughout this team’s history, and Simmons speaks for everyone when he implies that putting a stop to that turmoil has to be the No. 1 priority for this team.
Pickett, Russell Wilson, and Kirk Cousins are not the answers, and as enticing as Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are, passing on Sanders would be devastating if he goes on to have tons of success elsewhere.
He is not a perfect prospect, and most mocks have had him sliding down the board in recent weeks, but this franchise might have no choice but to take the risk and see if he can be the savior.
Nick Chubb Gets Good News on Potential Return to Browns
Running back Nick Chubb was one of the best players in Cleveland Browns history over the first five years of his career, but season-ending injuries have plagued the four-time Pro Bowler in each of the past two seasons.
Chubb agreed to considerably less guaranteed money on a restructured contract in 2024 to remain in Cleveland, which was the final year on his previous contract. He hit free agency earlier this month and remains available to any team in the NFL.
That said, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported on Sunday, March 16, that Cleveland is “open” to bringing Chubb back to the team.
“Chubb didn’t find a new home in the first wave of free agency, and the Browns will be open to re-signing him in the second wave if they determine they’ll have a role for him,” Cabot wrote. “They’ll also likely draft a running back in this rich class to pair with Jerome Ford, or acquire one in a trade or free agency.”
Chubb will turn 30 years old in late December, at the very end of the upcoming season. The 30th birthday has often proved an accurate line of biological demarcation between one’s prime and the backend of one’s career at the running back position across NFL history. But players like Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens have proven that’s not always the case.
Coming off of a broken foot in 2024 and a devastating knee injury in 2023 that required multiple surgeries to repair and sidelined Chubb for more than 13 months, he isn’t likely to find a big payday anywhere — even by running back standards. Because of that, a return to the familiarity of the Browns locker room and the city of Cleveland could make sense for Chubb, as he attempts to rebuild his value and prove he can stay healthy for a full campaign.
Spotrac projects Chubb’s market value at $3.3 million on a new one-year contract.
