The Cleveland Browns went 3–14 last season and likely won’t be much better in 2025. Finding positives from last year’s team was difficult, but one constant bright spot remains: defensive end Myles Garrett.
Garrett once again proved to be a dominant pass rusher in 2024. Despite the defense taking a step back from its elite 2023 form, he still played at an All-Pro level.
Now under contract through 2030 with a new deal worth $40 million per season, expectations for Garrett are higher than ever. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is pushing him to raise the bar even further.
“I really think Myles is going to have the best season of his career—and he has to, right?” Schwartz said last week. “I’ve told him before… what’s that Spider-Man quote? ‘With great power comes great responsibility,’ right? That comes with the big contract, the notoriety that comes with it, and the process that got him to this point.
There’s always pressure in this league, but probably even more so now. And I think that pressure brings out the best in players—I know it will with Myles.”
Garrett has recorded at least 14 sacks in each of the last four seasons and at least 12 sacks in five straight. Since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2017, he has totaled 102.5 career sacks. When Garrett is off the field, the Browns’ defense noticeably suffers. No other player on the team commands as many double teams or is as heavily game-planned against.
As the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, Garrett will be expected not just to maintain his elite level of play, but to elevate it in 2025 following the massive extension Cleveland gave him.
Nick Chubb Joins Texans: Cleveland Browns Say No to Pro Bowl RB Despite Myles Garrett’s Rumored Request
Former Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb has a new home, as he was signed by the Houston Texans today. The four-time Pro Bowler agreed to a one-year $2.5 million deal worth up to $5 million.
Chubb was selected 35th overall in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft and has rushed for 6,843 yards and 51 touchdowns. He joins a running back room that features Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale, and Woody Marks.
While one important Browns player departed in the offseason with Chubb officially joining the Texans today, one important piece to the Browns stayed when defensive end Myles Garrett got a four-year, $160 million contract extension.
Garrett, being one of the leaders of the team, apparently wanted the team to retain Chubb this offseason. According to sources, during Garrett’s negotiations with the team, he requested the Browns to re-sign Chubb. They elected not to.
While Chubb is ready to join his new team, he never wanted to leave Cleveland, as per the Akron Beach Journal, he wanted to retire as a Brown. Even in the off-season when Myles Garrett trade rumors circulated, Chubb still spoke about playing together as a team and didn’t view things hypothetically.
“It’s part of the game, part of the business, so you get used to it,” Chubb told the Akron Beacon Journal. “But at the end of the day, I think everyone, personally, just wants to be there for his boys. I think it’s deeper than just business, it’s a brotherhood.”
Part of the business is also leaving the team that drafted you. While it is ideal for some to end their career with the team that drafted them, that’s not always the case, and oftentimes isn’t the case in the football world.
Chubb was extremely productive for the Browns. In seven seasons, he rushed for at least 1,000 yards four times and was four yards shy one season. He’s also rushed for eight touchdowns or more in five seasons. With a career yards per carry average of 5.1, Chubb is an extremely productive running back when healthy. But that’s a big if.
Chubb is at the point of his career where the injuries are catching up to him and taking a toll. He suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 of the 2023 season (torn ACL, damaged MCL) and began the 2024 season on injured reserve. Chubb then suffered a season-ending broken foot injury towards the end of the season after playing in eight games.
It’s safe to say his injuries were a big part of the Browns moving on from him and the Texans getting him on a cheap deal.
