Quinshon Judkins was on the field for the Browns on Thursday, but not in the way Cleveland needed.
The rookie running back was visible during the open portion of practice, yet he didn’t take part in stretching or individual work, according to ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. He was listed as a nonparticipant for a second straight day, which leaves his status for Sunday’s home matchup with the Ravens very much up in the air.
That would be a problem at the worst possible time for Cleveland. The Browns need this one badly: a win gets them to 4-2 and back on top of the AFC North, while a loss drops them back to .500 and into a crowded pack with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, both sitting at 3-2.
The injury picture around the roster is getting cramped fast. Head coach Todd Monken already had to run a walkthrough on Wednesday because the team was short on bodies, and the practice report that followed listed 17 players.
Thursday didn’t bring much relief. Among the players who sat out again were defensive linemen Derek Barnett, Kalia Davis, Mason Graham and Mike Hall Jr., linebacker Carson Schwesinger, guard Teven Jenkins, and Judkins.
All of those players would likely need at least a limited practice on Friday to have a real shot at being active on Sunday.
There was one small bright spot in the backfield: Dylan Sampson got in limited work for the first time since hurting his knee in Week 1. That at least points in a better direction for him, though it’s still unclear whether he’ll be ready.
The Browns can probably live with Sampson trending up. They can’t afford to lose Judkins too.
If both backs are out, Cleveland would be looking at Jaleel McLaughlin and newly added Audric Estime to carry the load against Baltimore.
McLaughlin has an interesting case for more snaps. He logged a season-high 17 against the Jets last week and still didn’t get a touch, but he did break off a 28-yard touchdown on his lone snap against the Steelers in Week 4.
The juice is there. The question is whether the Browns will lean on it.
Estime brings size and some NFL production from his time with the Saints in 2025. He turned 46 carries into 198 yards and a touchdown, though most of that damage came against Tennessee in late December. In the other four games where he got carries, he averaged 3.25 yards per attempt.
Judkins, meanwhile, hasn’t exactly been carrying the offense when healthy. Through five games, he has 221 yards on 73 carries, a 3.0-yard average. Even if he suits up, a less-than-100-percent version of Judkins could have a hard time finding room against a Ravens defense that ranks 12th in EPA per rush.
And that’s where Sunday’s game may be decided. Baltimore is coming in with Derrick Henry and the third-best rushing attack in football at 164.4 yards per game. Cleveland sits 21st, helped by Deshaun Watson’s 167 rushing yards on 37 attempts.
If that gap shows up on the field, the Browns could be in trouble early. With injuries stacking up and the backfield suddenly looking thin, Judkins has become one of the most important names on the report - and the next-man-up plan at running back may be asking a lot from a team that already looks stretched.
In Other News...
Browns Suddenly Have A Ravens Week Question Fans Desperately Wanted
Friday brought a welcome shift at Browns practice, with several injured players getting back on the field after limited or no work earlier in the week. Defensive tackle Mason Graham, running back Quinshon Judkins, linebacker Carson Schwesinger and edge defender Derek Barnett all participated, giving Cleveland a healthier look as it moves through a key stretch of preparation for Baltimore.
Grahams return is especially notable after he missed 15 days with a sprained MCL and ankle, and the Browns are still sorting through where their running back group stands heading into Ravens week. With practice availability trending in a better direction, the main question now is which of these returning pieces can actually be counted on when the matchup gets here. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Offseason Bets Are Already Exposing One Costly Problem
The Browns went into the offseason trying to cover a lot of ground with very little cap room, and the early returns on those bets have been mixed. Some of the moves have already helped stabilize spots that needed attention, with Denzel Boston adding value at receiver, Elgton Jenkins settling in at center, and Quincy Williams giving the defense a useful lift.
Zion Johnson and Tytus Howard, though, have not given Cleveland the same kind of payoff, and that gap matters because the Browns did not have much margin for error in the first place. When a team is shopping carefully and trying to patch multiple holes at once, a couple of underwhelming additions can quickly turn from inconvenient to costly, especially if the early optimism around the roster starts to fade. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookie Is Suddenly Grading Like An Elite NFL Defender
Pro Football Focus first rookie rankings of the 2026 season have given Cleveland a notable early-season talking point on defense, with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren emerging as the highest-graded rookie and the top safety in the league after five weeks. Taken 58th overall, McNeil-Warren has already carved out a role for the Browns, piling up 22 tackles while making life difficult on quarterbacks whenever the ball has come his way.
Across 109 snaps, he has allowed only four targets and produced an average passer rating allowed of 27.6, the kind of early return that gets attention quickly in a league where rookies are usually asked to survive before they thrive. Cleveland has another young standout in Denzel Boston, who leads all rookies in receiving yards with 330 and has three touchdowns in five games, giving the Browns a pair of first-year contributors worth tracking as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]