While the Cleveland Browns had a good record of 2-3 in their last five games and suffered one competitive loss, this brutal 1-6 start to the season with Deshaun Watson at the helm has clearly made this a lost year. And since they finally have their own first-round pick again, a few losses late in the season could actually benefit the franchise.

But given the drama surrounding the franchise and Kevin Stefanski’s job security issues, there aren’t many people in the building who would realistically get involved in intentionally losing games. At least that’s what you would think.

Stefanski may have more job security than we realize, as his handling of Nick Chubb on Monday may have been nothing more than an attempt to tank.

After playing a season-high 66% of offensive snaps in Cleveland’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12, Chubb had little impact against the Broncos. Chubb recorded a season-low 9 runs, tied his season-low with 11 total touches, and played just 34% of the snaps. In comparison, Jerome Ford played 66% of the snaps.

The man is still working to recover from a serious injury, so that’s always the first thought when we see Chubb’s usage limited. But Stefanski admitted his health had nothing to do with it.

And considering that Chubb will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, the Browns have no reason to reduce his workload to keep him healthy for next season. They simply refuse to commit to their All-Pro running back.

According to Tankathon, the Browns would remain the No. 8 overall pick if the season ends today. They’re just one win ahead of the top tank teams (the Jaguars, Raiders and Giants, who are all 2-10), but given the way Jameis Winston is playing, getting enough games will be a tall order lose to move into the championship top three.

But hey, maybe Stefanski decides to give up any pretense of wanting to win and bench Jameis Winston to give Dorian Thompson-Robinson some looks as the season also comes to an end. If that happens, it would be a clear sign that Stefanski feels his job isn’t on the line and that he can afford to lose a few more games heading into the 2026 season.

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