The Cleveland Browns already suspected something serious after Dylan Sampson left Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville on crutches, and now ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has confirmed exactly how significant that concern really is. What started as an in-game knee injury has turned into a longer-term absence for a running back who had shown real promise as a rookie a year ago.
Fowler gave the update on Sampson’s outlook after speaking with sources close to the situation.
“Browns RB Dylan Sampson is expected to miss significant time due to the knee injury suffered Sunday in Jacksonville, per sources. Sampson was spotted on crutches after the game,” Fowler posted.
Browns RB Dylan Sampson is expected to miss significant time due to the knee injury suffered Sunday in Jacksonville, per sources.
Sampson was spotted on crutches after the game. pic.twitter.com/CCJFq4GyDj
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 15, 2026
That confirmation removes any lingering hope this might have been a minor injury. Sampson was wearing a brace on his left knee following the game, and Fowler’s report now puts a real timeline behind what fans saw develop during the loss. Missing significant time typically points toward something well beyond a week-to-week designation, which changes how Todd Monken plans to structure his backfield going forward.
The loss stings given what Sampson flashed during his rookie season. He posted 175 rushing yards and 271 receiving yards across 15 games in 2025, showing the ability to contribute as a receiver out of the backfield alongside his work between the tackles. That kind of versatility gave Cleveland’s offense a change-of-pace option behind Quinshon Judkins, and losing him for an extended stretch removes real flexibility from a run game that already struggled to find rhythm against Jacksonville’s defense.
Judkins now inherits an even heavier workload with Sampson sidelined. Raheim Sanders becomes the next man up in a depth chart that suddenly looks thinner than it did before kickoff on Sunday.
Cleveland will not have full clarity on Sampson’s actual timeline until further testing and evaluation play out over the coming days, but Fowler’s report makes clear this is not a situation that resolves itself quickly. With Tampa Bay on deck, the Browns now have to figure out how to manage their backfield workload without one of the more promising young pieces on the entire roster.
NEXT: Todd Monken Found A Silver Lining In The Blowout Loss
