Cleveland Browns

Madden 25's updated ratings are giving Jerry Jeudy some credit.

The video game updated the rosters ahead of Week 15 and the Cleveland Browns wide receiver received a bump up to an 84 overall. Another notably increase was given to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who moved to a 97 overall.

This comes after the revelation that New York Jets owner Woody Johnson nixed a trade in the offseason that would have sent Jeudy to the Jets due to his low Madden rating.

Jeudy would end up being traded to the Browns instead and has had a breakout season with his new team. He has 70 catches for 1,052 yards with four touchdowns in 14 games in 2024. He has been targeted 111 times and has produced despite some mediocre quarterback play from Deshaun Watson and Jameis Winston.

Allen received his bump as he is currently in the midst of another excellent season. He has thrown for 3,395 yards with 25 touchdowns and five interceptions and helped lead Buffalo to an 11-3 start to the season. He is now tied with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the second-highest-rated quarterback behind Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Some other players receiving boosts include Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs and Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans.

For the second straight year, Cleveland Browns star running back Nick Chubb's season has prematurely come to an end.

The Browns announced on Wednesday that Chubb has been placed on injured reserve with a foot injury, ruling him out for the remainder of the year. In a corresponding move, tight end Brenden Bates was signed from the New York Jets practice squad to Cleveland's active roster.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters after this past Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that Chubb suffered a broken foot that forced him to exit the game. He recorded 41 yards on nine carries before being ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

It was just over a year ago that Chubb suffered a devastating injury to the same knee that was surgically repaired in 2015 when he was still at Georgia. A torn MCL with damage to his ACL in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 of the 2023 campaign forced him to miss the rest of the year as well as the first six games of this season.

Chubb made his debut in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals and showed brief flashes of his usual form that earned him four consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2019 to 2022. He finishes the 2024 season with 332 rushing yards, a team-high three rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown in eight games.

Without Chubb, Cleveland will now rely on third-year speedster Jerome Ford as its lead back. The 2022 fifth-round pick leads the team with 451 rushing yards while adding two touchdowns and averaging 5.2 yards per carry. He also has 32 catches on 38 targets for 186 yards.

At 3-11, the Browns are ready for their disappointing season to come to an end. Cleveland will be trying to end a three-game losing streak when it visits the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals (6-8) on Sunday.

Jameis Winston's run as the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback may have ended after seven games.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start for the Browns during Sunday's Week 16 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Brad Stainbrook of The OBR and Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.

Winston was named the Browns' starter ahead of Week 8 following injuries to both Deshaun Watson and Thompson-Robinson. He then led Cleveland to a 2-5 record, most recently marking a 21-7 loss to the visiting Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The 30-year-old threw no touchdown passes and was picked off three times in Sunday's loss. The Browns' only score of the night game on a 62-yard touchdown run from Jerome Ford late in the third quarter.

Thompson-Robinson stepped in after Winston began the fourth quarter by throwing his third interception of the night. He went 4-of-9 and threw an interception on the Browns' final drive of the loss.

Cleveland.com's Dan Labbe wrote after the game that Thompson-Robinson had been "involved in the gameplan with a package of plays."

"I think that stuff more so helps with just making sure I'm locked in throughout the week as well as being on the sideline," the 25-year-old said after the loss. "At any point in time, your name can be called so you have to be ready. So that kind of helps me stay on my toes there."

The Browns could alternatively have turned to third-stringer Bailey Zappe, who has yet to appear in NFL action since starting in the New England Patriots' finale to the 2023 season but has the edge in starting experience.

Instead the team will give a start to Thompson-Robinson for the first time since Week 11 of the 2023 season.

The UCLA product will be forced to take over the role without star running back Nick Chubb, who broke his foot during Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. The second-year quarterback will likely lean on connecting with top wideout Jerry Jeudy when facing the Bengals' low-ranked passing defense this weekend.

Jameis Winston did not look like a long-term answer at quarterback for the struggling Cleveland Browns during Sunday's 21-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and head coach Kevin Stefanski didn't sound particularly confident in him after the contest.

Stefanski didn't tell reporters whether he would commit to Winston under center for the rest of the season after pulling him in the fourth quarter for Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

That is a testament to Winston's poor play over anything else, as Thompson-Robinson did not exactly impress while going 4-of-9 for 18 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception down the stretch. He did flash his running skills with three carries for 16 yards, but he also didn't look like a franchise quarterback.

Still, it was better than Winston.

Winston went 16-of-25 for 146 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions. He also fumbled, although the Browns recovered it to prevent yet another turnover.

In all, Cleveland turned it over six times and allowed five sacks. Kansas City's defense was dialed in from the start and deserves plenty of credit for the showing, but the Browns offense played poorly on the way to a 3-11 record.

It wasn't all good news for the Chiefs, as the offense was stagnant for much of the game. Patrick Mahomes also limped off the field in the fourth quarter and didn't return after his ankle was taped on the sidelines.

As for Winston and the Browns, the team is playing out the string on a lost season and has the quarterback under team control through just the rest of the 2024 campaign.

Perhaps it doesn't believe the Florida State product is a viable option moving forward into 2025 and beyond and will give Thompson-Robinson a chance. Or perhaps it will continue playing Winston to see if he can potentially be the backup to Deshaun Watson again next season.

There aren't many more notable storylines for the AFC North team for the rest of this season, but Winston's status is now one to watch ahead of a Week 16 road game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Cleveland Browns will be without a key member of their offense indefinitely.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters running back Nick Chubb suffered a broken foot after exiting Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Chubb had rushed for 41 yards on nine carries before exiting the game.

After suffering a torn MCL with damage to his ACL in Week 2 of the 2023 season, Chubb missed Cleveland's first six games this year before making his season debut in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He entered Sunday's game against Kansas City with 291 rushing yards and a team-high three rushing touchdowns in seven appearances.

Injuries have been a theme this season for the Browns, who have been eliminated from playoff contention and sit in last place in the AFC North with a 3-10 record. Multiple key players have missed significant time, including quarterback Deshaun Watson, who suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in Week 7.

With Chubb now set to miss time, Jerome Ford will be the primary ball-carrier. Third-string running back Pierre Strong Jr. would likely see increased touches until Chubb is able to return.

The Cleveland Browns believe in head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the team is "focused on maintaining stability" and that they want to allow the duo to "address the team's challenges and improve:"

Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry aren't going anywhere. After Browns owner Jimmy Haslam publicly expressed his support for both the head coach and general manager in a conversation with ESPN, it's clear the organization is standing by their leadership despite a disappointing 3-10 record this season. According to sources in Cleveland, the Browns believe Stefanski and Berry remain the right duo to guide the team forward. Leadership within the organization is focused on maintaining stability and giving them the opportunity to address the team's challenges and improve. Barring any wild circumstances over the next few weeks, it's a vote of confidence in their long-term vision, even in the face of a tough season. (The next big decision? What to do at QB1.

Stefanski and Berry are in their fifth seasons at the helm and have led the Browns through the most consistent period since re-joining the NFL in 1999. Cleveland qualified for the postseason in 2020 and 2023 and is 40-40 overall during their time running the team.

A lot of the struggles can be blamed on poor quarterback play as Deshaun Watson was unproductive prior to his torn Achilles injury and Jameis Winston has struggled with costly turnovers since taking over.

Missing Nick Chubb for the beginning of the season and many injuries throughout the roster has not helped the team's chances either. Still, the team has significant defensive talent with Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward and a high pick in 2025 should only help the team improve going forward.

The Cleveland Browns do not appear to be approaching a leadership change in 2025.

On Friday's episode of the Scoop City podcast, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Browns are not likely going to move on from head coach Kevin Stefanski or general manager Andrew Berry following the season and that the franchise recognizes that the struggles this season are more related to quarterback play.

"I talked to some people in Cleveland, and they tell me that Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski are going to be safe—they are going to come back next year," Russini said (16:30 mark). "I think they realize that the problem that they're having has more to do with the quarterback than it does with Kevin Stefanski."

The Browns currently sit at 3-10 and in last place in the AFC North. This comes after a solid 11-6 campaign in 2023 and the franchise is currently on pace to have the worst record since its infamous 0-16 campaign in 2017.

Stefanski and Berry are in their fifth seasons at the helm and have led the franchise to its most consistent play since its re-entry into the NFL as an expansion team in 1999. Cleveland has reached the postseason twice, won a playoff game and has a promising roster packed with talent on the defensive side of the ball.

The struggles this season can be attributed to struggles at quarterback, as it has been mostly split between Deshaun Watson and Jameis Winston. Watson entered his third season with the franchise with hopes that he could reclaim his old form but the 29-year-old was uninspiring in his seven games.

Watson threw for 1,148 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions and led the team to a 1-6 record. He went down for the season with a torn Achilles in October and the remaining two years on his five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract look like an albatross.

Winston has moved the offense a bit more, throwing for 1,975 yards and 13 touchdowns but his nine interceptions have not helped the team add more games to the win column.

The struggles at the position appear to have given Stefanski and Berry a longer leash but significant improvement in 2025 will likely be a requirement to advance past that season.

Running back Nick Chubb says it is "important" that he returns for an eighth season with the Cleveland Browns after his current contract expires this spring.

"I would say it's important. I started here. I'd like to finish here," Chubb said, per Dan Labbe of cleveland.com. "Cleveland just means a lot to me. Everything we've been through, ups and downs, but I'm proud to be drafted here."

The report comes two days after Chubb told Cleveland fans he was "a Brown for life" during a charity event, per Denise Polverine Manoloff of Cleveland Magazine.

Chubb, selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2018 draft, missed 21 straight regular-season games after suffering a severe knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 campaign.

The incident marked the second potentially career-ending left knee injury of Chubb's career. He also suffered a serious injury to the same knee while playing for Georgia in 2015.

Chubb returned to the NFL field for the first time in over a year during the Browns' Week 7 loss to the Bengals. In seven starts since, he has recorded 93 carries for 291 yards and three touchdowns, adding five catches and a receiving touchdown.

He is averaging 3.1 yards per carry, which would mark a full-season career-low and a significant departure from the 5.0 yards per attempt he recorded during his last full season in 2022.

The Browns meanwhile head into Week 15 ranked 30th in the NFL in rushing offense. That lack of offense on the ground, combined with the team's struggles under center, led to Cleveland being eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14.

Chubb played the 2024 season on a reworked deal with the Browns, which converted most of his original $11.75 base salary into incentives hinging on on offensive categories including playing time, receptions, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. The Browns could consider offering Chubb a similarly incentive-laden contract in order to bring him back on a lower-risk deal in 2025.

One year removed from being fired as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, Mike Vrabel reportedly could be on the verge of returning to the sidelines once again.

On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that "Vrabel's candidacy seems very real." The 49-year-old has spent the 2024 season as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns.

Despite spending the year in a consulting role, Vrabel is still seen as one of the top coaching candidates available. Fowler added, "I've talked to people who think he should get a head-coaching job and could be as high as No. 2 in the pecking order behind [Detroit Lions offensive coordinator] Ben Johnson."

In six seasons as Titans head coach, Vrabel compiled a 54-45 record with three playoff appearances, including a run to the AFC Championship Game in 2019. Tennessee won back-to-back AFC South titles in 2020 and 2021 and also achieved the No. 1 seed in the conference in the latter, earning Vrabel AP NFL Coach of the Year honors that year.

Unfortunately, Vrabel was unable to sustain that level of success, as he had back-to-back losing seasons in 2022 and 2023 before being fired. He was expected to be in the running for one of the head-coaching openings last offseason, but he went unhired and chose to join the Browns as a consultant in March. The move represented a homecoming for the Northeast Ohio native, who also began his coaching career as linebackers coach for Ohio State in 2011.

Now, it sounds like Vrabel will get the chance to take the helm of an NFL team heading into the 2025 season. The New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears already made in-season coaching changes, and it's expected that more teams will have openings this offseason. Any of them will surely benefit from adding a coach of Vrabel's caliber.