The Cleveland Browns made the difficult decision to let star running back Nick Chubb walk in free agency this offseason to the Houston Texans, but the contingency plan was promising when they drafted second-round running back Quinshon Judkins and fourth-rounder Dylan Sampson to take his place.
Having a pair of explosive and accomplished running backs gives the offense plenty of potential for explosive playmaking ability, but that plan is still on hold after Judkins’ legal issues this offseason caused him to remain the only unsigned rookie from his draft class.
It’s still unclear when he will sign his deal and report to camp, even though the legal troubles are behind him, but ESPN’s Tony Grossi recently shared that the fourth game of the season is a reasonable estimate as to when Judkins could make his debut.
Guessing it’s Game 4. https://t.co/P6tiqfsXdq
— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) August 22, 2025
Sampson is capable of holding things down alongside Jerome Ford in the meantime, but it’s getting close to Week 1, and there is still some concern about the Judkins situation.
The NFL is reportedly still looking into the ordeal, even though Judkins won’t face any legal ramifications, so it’s a safe bet that Judkins won’t sign his rookie deal until he is fully in the clear.
On paper, Judkins and Sampson represent what could be a devastating running back tandem for the Browns, and it’s clear that the team is looking to run the ball more in 2025, given the personnel decisions that were made this offseason.
Hopefully, Grossi is right and this all gets resolved soon.
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