Nick Chubb to Cowboys: Can Jerry Jones’ team afford to get Browns' star RB?

Nick Chubb began his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns as one of the most consistently productive running backs. He exceeded 1,100 scrimmage yards and scored at least eight touchdowns in each of his first five seasons while making it to the Pro Bowl in four of them.

The past two years have been a much different story for Chubb after suffering a significant knee injury during the 2023 season. He has appeared in just 10 games across the past two years and averaged a career-low in yards per carry during his most recent season.

His contract with the Browns is scheduled to expire during the 2025 NFL offseason, so he is set to become a free agent this year. It appears unlikely that the Browns will bring him back on a new deal, considering his recent decline and their expected rebuild.

If Nick Chubb does in fact join a new team for next season, the Dallas Cowboys have emerged as a potential landing spot. They are in need of help at the running back position, so the pairing seems to make sense as long as Jerry Jones can make it work with their current salary cap situation.

Cowboys salary cap implications of potentially signing Nick Chubb in free agency

Nick Chubb

The Dallas Cowboys are currently projected to have the fourth-highest payroll entering the 2025 NFL offseason, according to Spotrac. They are nearly $3 million over the projected salary cap, so Jerry Jones will have some work to do this year.

In addition to working out deals with some of his own pending free agents, Jones will also need to address some of the Cowboys' weaknesses. The running back position should be toward the top of the list, especially with Rico Dowdle pending free agency as well.

Teams are able to manipulate the salary cap by restructuring some of their current players' contracts, so Jones is likely to use this approach during the offseason. So, if Jones goes down this path, the team should be able to afford Chubb.

When it comes to improving their backfield, Nick Chubb makes a ton of sense as an offseason target. Coming off of two injury-shortened seasons and turning 30 years old during next season, Chubb is likely to be available at a discounted price this offseason.

This could benefit the Cowboys who may be looking for high-upside bargains. Placing him in a potential committee of running backs for the upcoming season could be the best way to optimize their backfield.