The backdrop to this decision is as dramatic as it gets. The Browns recently made headlines with a move that had fans collectively clutching their pearls: they opted to put their star running back, Nick Chubb, on injured reserve. Chubb’s injury has been the kind of bad news that you’d expect to see in a grim sitcom where nothing ever goes right. With Chubb out of the equation, the Browns apparently decided to hit the panic button harder than a kid who’s just seen their favorite toy broken.
And so, in a plot twist that even Shakespeare might have deemed a bit excessive, the team decided to let go of two other running backs. These are the same running backs who probably thought they were getting their big break—only to find themselves unceremoniously booted out the door faster than you can say, “Can I get a refund on my season tickets?”
It’s almost poetic. These running backs were given the football equivalent of a backstage pass to the NFL, only to have it revoked faster than you can blink. They came to the Browns with dreams of glory and a chance to shine. Instead, they ended up with a front-row seat to the grim reality that in the NFL, even your dreams can get cut short. If there were a prize for running backs with the worst luck, these guys would be collecting it right about now.
One can’t help but wonder what the coaches were thinking. “Let’s see, we’ve lost our top running back and we need replacements. Why not add a few more who might just run out of gas before they even get started?” The Browns’ approach to team-building seems to involve a sort of macabre optimism—like playing a game of musical chairs where half the chairs are already broken.
As for the released running backs, their future is as uncertain as a plotline in a soap opera. They’ll be looking for new teams, new opportunities, and perhaps new ways to dodge the metaphorical bus that seems to have flattened their career hopes. After all, in the NFL, one man’s misfortune is another’s chance—though given the Browns' track record, one could argue that misfortune is the only thing they’ve consistently managed to deliver.
In the end, the Browns’ decision to waive these running backs is a reminder that in the cutthroat world of professional football, it’s not just about how well you run with the ball but how well you run away from the inevitable disappointment. So here’s to the running backs who are off to find their next opportunity—may it be better than a team whose idea of a running game is seeing how quickly they can clear the field.
