Running back depth is often taken for granted until it disappears. Teams rotate backs throughout a game to keep legs fresh and create different looks, and losing even a role player can force a significant shift in how an offense operates. The Browns are learning that lesson in a hurry. Just days after Sunday’s loss, they lost another piece of their backfield for at least a month.
Mary Kay Cabot shared that the Browns have placed RB Raheim Sanders on IR.
“#Browns have signed RB Audric Estime and placed RB Raheim Sanders on IR for at least four games. Big loss,” Cabot wrote.
#Browns have signed RB Audric Estime and placed RB Raheim Sanders on IR for at least four games. Big loss.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) October 13, 2026
Raheim Sanders landed on injured reserve with a hip injury, meaning he will miss at least 4 games. At the earliest, he would not be eligible to return until after the November 10 trade deadline.
Cabot calling it a big loss fits the role Sanders carved out. He has been one of the most reliable receivers out of the backfield, catching 11 of his 12 targets for 74 yards, and he added 43 rushing yards on 9 carries for an average of 4.8 per attempt.
His best showing came against the Carolina Panthers, when he caught 4 passes for 34 yards and broke off a 17-yard run in a 21-18 win.
Sanders also gave the Browns a change of pace from Quinshon Judkins.
The timing could hardly be worse. Judkins was seen in a walking boot on his right foot after the loss to the New York Jets, and Dylan Sampson is already on injured reserve. That leaves the Browns with very few proven options heading into a home showdown with the Baltimore Ravens.
The injury also explains the decision to sign Audric Estime off the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad. Estime brings a physical, downhill style and caught 12 of 13 targets with the New Orleans Saints last season, so he could absorb some of the work Sanders leaves behind. Jaleel McLaughlin, who scored on a 28-yard run against the Pittsburgh Steelers, should also see a bigger role.
With 2 running backs on injured reserve and the starter’s status uncertain, the trade deadline conversation is becoming harder to ignore. Andrew Berry has already been linked to veterans like Tony Pollard and Tyler Allgeier, and losing Sanders only strengthens the case for adding a proven back before the deadline arrives.
NEXT: Browns Add 2 New Players And Part Ways With 2 Others
