The Cleveland Browns and Quinshon Judkins have finally reached resolution after a tumultuous offseason that had several around the NFL questioning the second-round rookie running back’s ultimate fate with the franchise that drafted him.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday, September 6, that the two sides agreed on a contract. The deal came one day before Cleveland opens its season against the Cincinnati Bengals.
https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1964318453210222901
“Finally: the Cleveland Browns and their second-round pick Quinshon Judkins reached agreement today on a four-year, $11.4 million deal that now means all 2025 draft picks have deals,” Schefter wrote on his X account.
Quinshon Judkins Won’t Play in Browns’ Season Opener Against Bengals
Judkins’ contract doesn’t mean he will be in uniform for the team’s season opener on Sunday, however.
Part of the holdup was the NFL’s investigation into Judkins’ off-field actions, namely a misdemeanor domestic violence charge he faced in July, but which the Florida court system dismissed in August.
Just because Judkins won’t face criminal charges doesn’t mean that the league can’t/won’t impose discipline of its own. Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland recently predicted that Judkins will miss between two and four games.
“I think there is a zero percent chance [Judkins will play on Sunday]. I do think he’s going to be suspended, otherwise this case would have been done by now,” Grossi said. “But, the NFLPA is trying to negotiate a reduced suspension. I think the contract will fall in line once they know how many games he’s out.”
Given Grossi’s projected timeline of events, the league may have already decided on a punishment for Judkins and informed Cleveland of what is coming down. That, in turn, may mean an announcement from the NFL is coming soon on the length of Judkins’ suspension if, in fact, he ends up facing one.
Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN followed Schefter’s social media report with one of his own, stating that Judkins is not going to play Sunday. However, Oyefusi did not expressly specify whether that was a team decision due to Judkins’ lack of preparedness stemming from the overarching circumstances of his preseason, or if it was because the NFL has already suspended the rookie running back.
Browns Drafted Quinshon Judkins to Play Immediately, Compared Skill Set to Nick Chubb
Cleveland will miss Judkins in Week 1, and for however many more games he ends up sitting, as the team drafted him No. 36 overall with the intention of using him immediately and extensively.
General manager Catherine Hickman told Oyefusi that the Browns view Judkins’ skill set as similar to that of Nick Chubb, the four-time Pro Bowler with whom Cleveland parted ways this offseason after seven years together.
“His physicality, his contact balance, the way he runs with strength is something I’ve seen in Nick as an example,” Hickman said. “This style of play is just going to fit very nicely with what we’re trying to do.”
Cleveland will begin the season with Jerome Ford as the starter and fourth-round running back Dylan Sampson as RB2. The Browns also added undrafted rookie Raheim Sanders after waiving Pierre Strong Jr. with an injury settlement.
