The Browns are heading into 2024 with their books about $19.5 million over the salary cap, per Pro Football Focus. That means the team will need to make some releases and/or ask players to take some pay cuts in the coming weeks.

PFF’s Brad Spielberger believes one player who could do the latter is running back Nick Chubb.

“A gruesome knee injury suffered against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 of 2023 brings into question his efficacy for the final year of his contract,” Spielberger writes. “Here he takes a pay cut akin to what we’ve seen in recent offseasons from Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon and Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones.”

Chubb signed a three-year, $36.6 million extension back in 2021, but Speilberger thinks Cleveland could ask to reduce his 2024 salary from $11.775 million to $5.775 million.

That’s quite the jump for a player who posted four straight seasons with at least 1,000 rushing yards and eight touchdowns from 2019-22. However, Chubb’s injury could have the Browns worried if he will return as the same dominant runner next season.

Chubb returned from another serious injury in college and had one of the best starts in NFL history among running backs. But he is now 28 and age doesn’t tend to be friendly to the position.

If the four-time Pro Bowler is not interested in taking a pay cut, Cleveland could opt to part ways with him entirely. But that feels very unlikely at this point.

Chubb has had a team-first mindset for much of his career. And if he is able to help the Browns contend for a Super Bowl next season by taking a pay cut, it would be surprising if he wasn’t willing to do so.