Quinshon Judkins was expected to be the starting running back for the Cleveland Browns in 2025 and beyond, until off-field trouble made his NFL future murky. However, after his battery charges were dropped, his path to return to the football field became clearer. The young running back has taken several key steps towards playing in his first NFL game.
Latest on Quinshon Judkins’ Status
On Saturday, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler confirmed that Judkins will make his debut in Week 2 against the Ravens. Now, the rookie running back is officially active for today’s game against the Ravens.
After activating Judkins, the Browns waived wide receiver Gage Larvadain as they hope to pull off a big upset in Baltimore. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has stated that Judkins will likely play 10-15 snaps this week, and then gradually work his way into the RB1 role.
Judkins’ legal situation delayed his signing process, as he was the lone unsigned player from the 2025 NFL Draft Class for quite some time. However, on September 6, 2025, the day before the Browns’ first game, he and the team agreed to terms on a contract.
The Browns selected the former Ohio State star in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 36th overall selection. In three collegiate seasons at both Ole Miss and Ohio State had 739 carries for 3,785 yards and 45 touchdowns on the ground, while adding 59 receptions for 442 yards and five touchdowns through the air.
How Does Judkins Fit in the Browns’ Offense?
During Judkins’ absence, veterans Jerome Ford and rookie Dylan Sampson carried the workload for Cleveland against one of the NFL’s weakest defensive units, the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Browns’ ground game sputtered in the opener, producing just 49 yards on 24 attempts. Ford struggled the most, posting six carries for only eight yards and adding one catch for negative yardage, making him the most likely to lose touches once Judkins returns.
Sampson, on the other hand, showed more upside. While he managed only 29 yards on 12 carries, he made an impact as a receiving option for Joe Flacco, hauling in all eight of his targets for 64 yards.
With Sampson’s early effectiveness as a pass catcher and Judkins’ proven ability as a power runner in college, the Browns could turn to Judkins for early downs while keeping Sampson active as their passing-down specialist.
Judkins’ strength as a between-the-tackles runner, combined with the chemistry Sampson displayed with Flacco, could provide Cleveland with a workable backfield formula.
Judkins’ Fantasy Outlook
PFSN’s Kyle Soppe wrote this about Judkins’ fantasy outlook for Week 2:
I’m not optimistic that this season will go well, but there’s a clear path to volume on a team that will likely prefer to run the ball, so this situation has to have our interest. Judkins cleared 1,200 yards and scored at least 16 times in all three of his collegiate seasons, and that pedigree is what required the Browns to spend a second-round pick on him.
That said, they’ve gotten a whole camp of Dylan Sampson and are comfortable with Jerome Ford. This profiles as a wide-open committee situation, thus making it a rather easy fade for now, with the understanding that rostering any of these backs is more of an October play, and that that might be on the optimistic side of things, even if his NFL debut is expected to come this weekend.
