3 Browns players who won't be back in 2025, 2 who should return

The 2024 season for the Cleveland Browns came to a fitting end on Saturday, with Bailey Zappe throwing two picks and the Baltimore Ravens averaging 6.5 yards per play in a 35-10 blowout win. Cleveland finishes the year at 3-14, a disastrous outcome for a team that had justifiable playoff hopes just a few months ago.

Those hopes were dashed pretty much the moment Deshaun Watson stepped on the field, unfortunately, and with all due respect to Jameis Winston, things didn't get much better when Watson was lost for the season with an injury. Now, Cleveland enters a pivotal offseason armed with a top-3 (at worst) pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, a crowded salary cap and a ton of difficult decisions to make. Here's where the Browns should start as they look to rebuild on the fly.

3 Browns who won't be back in 2025

TE David Njoku

Njoku seemed to have finally turned the corner down the stretch last season, but in hindsight maybe that was just Joe Flacco magic more than the light coming on for the talented but mercurial eighth-year pro. Injury issues have returned, and even more distressingly, the big plays have dried up: Njoku is averaging less than eight yards per reception this season, a baffling mark considering his size and athleticism.

At this point, it feels like it's time to abandon ship. Njoku is still a useful player, but he's also entering the final year of his contract. With the Browns looking to free up as much cap space as possible, finding an interested suitor could make sense, especially because Njoku doesn't play a premium position and isn't likely to be a member of the next contending team in Cleveland no matter what.

CB Greg Newsome II

Speaking of talented players who might be expendable with just one year left on their contract. Newsome II has been the subject of trade speculation for seemingly years now, and you can bet that those whispers will pop up again next March. The 24-year-old took a bit of a step back this season before landing on injured reserve, and Cleveland already has plenty to build around at corner between Denzel Ward and Martin Emerson Jr. If the Browns opt to deal Ward instead (a real possibility), this could change, and Newsome II might be a good candidate for an extension. But plenty of teams figure to be interested in taking a flier on him, and Cleveland would be better off amassing the draft capital rather than running him back at CB3.

WR Elijah Moore

This one's a much easier call. Moore is headed for free agency, and while he flashed some real upside at times, it's been too few and far between for Cleveland to build around him moving forward. That's especially true given the emergence of Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman this season, both of whom appear to be viable secondary options for whoever's playing quarterback for the Browns in 2025 and beyond.

Cleveland can let somebody else sign Moore to a multiyear deal in the spring. What the Browns really need is a true No. 1 to replace Amari Cooper. Moore clearly isn't that guy, and there's no use sinking money into a player who won't move the needle in a significant way for a team that needs impact talent.

2 Browns who will return in 2025

RB Nick Chubb

Chubb is also set to hit free agency, but unlike Moore, a reunion might actually make sense here. For starters, Chubb has become a fan favorite over the years, repeatedly putting his body on the line for teams that didn't always necessarily deserve the effort. And while Cleveland isn't in position to sink significant cap space into a running back, Chubb's latest injury — a broken foot suffered against the Kansas City Chiefs last month — could dampen his market enough that a reunion might be the best thing for both parties.

For as good as Chubb has been when healthy, he just turned 29, and his injury track record is alarming. Given his history with the franchise, Chubb likely means more to the Browns than he will to other teams in free agency, and he might try and sign a one-year deal to rebuild value before hitting the market again in 2026. If he's open to that, Cleveland should absolutely take him up on it, if only to buy back some good will with the fan base.

EDGE Myles Garrett

Here's the 6-foot-4, 272-pound elephant in the room. Garrett still has two years remaining on his five-year, $125 million contract, one that's been left in the dust as subsequent edge rushers have signed their own megadeals. Garrett has expressed a ton of loyalty to the team that drafted him first overall back in 2017, but he's also expressed an (understandable) unwillingness to endure another rebuild as he approaches his 30s.

So where does that leave Cleveland? The team at least explored the market for their star pass rusher at this year's trade deadline, but weren't moved enough to pull the trigger on a deal. And while it's tempting to argue that a team with this many holes and this big a cap crunch should cash in now and use the assets to build a contender moving forward, that's easier said than done. It remains to be seen whether any team is willing to meet the Browns' price for Garrett, considering his talent and the fact that he can test the market again relatively soon. Cleveland clearly wants multiple firsts and then some in return, but we haven't seen the trade market run that hot in a few years now. If the Browns don't get blown away, don't be surprised if they carry Garrett into 2025 and revisit this question at next year's deadline.