The Cleveland Browns are preparing to debut one of their star rookies. After not being signed due to his battery arrest, 2025 second-round draft pick Quinshon Judkins is getting ready to make his NFL debut. Judkins signed his rookie deal just before Week 1, leaving him with no time to prepare for their game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Because of that, Judkins did not suit up for the Browns' loss to the Bengals. Now, though, the Browns have a concrete plan to get the running back ready. After the running back attended a meeting with the NFL as part of their own investigation, Cleveland is looking to get Judkins on the practice field, per Ian Rapoport.
“The plan is for Quinshon Judkins to practice tomorrow and Friday and determine his availability for Sunday at that point,” Rapoport reports.
Judkins was the Browns' second-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. After Nick Chubb's departure, the rookie was expected to be the lead running back of the offense. However, Judkins was arrested early in the offseason due to a battery charge. As a result, Cleveland did not sign the running back to his rookie deal until everything was sorted out legally.
The prosecution declined to press charges against the running back a few weeks ago, paving the way for the Browns to finally ink the rookie to his first deal. That being said, the NFL is still holding its own investigation into whether Judkins violated the league's personal conduct policy. Depending on the results of the investigation, the Browns rookie could get fined and/or suspended for a few games.
The Browns lost their season-opener against the Bengals. With Judkins out, the Browns relied mostly on Dylan Sampson on the ground game, with Jerome Ford taking the occasional snap. The result was a mixed bag: Sampson had 12 carries for a measly 28 rushing yards, but he also caught eight passes for 66 yards. Ford fared worse: getting six carries but only getting eight yards. The Browns running backs will face another tough test in Week 2 when they take on the vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense.
