There’s been a lot of excitement brewing over the Cleveland Browns’ young core, but the team’s new direction has to be bittersweet for fans. With any youth movement comes an exodus of well-respected veterans. The Browns have already said goodbye to a full season’s worth of players, and we haven’t even gotten to training camp yet.
One of the more unheralded was running back Jerome Ford, a former fifth-round draft pick by the Browns in 2022. For Ford, the end was almost certainly near following the 2025 NFL Draft, when Cleveland welcomed a pair of new running backs in second-round pick Quinshon Judkins and fourth-rounder Dylan Sampson.
Ford was a quality depth player for the Browns who probably deserved a better fate. He stepped up and helped keep the offense afloat following Nick Chubb’s season-ending knee injury early in 2023, piling up over 1,132 all-purpose yards with nine total touchdowns. He followed that up in 2024 with a career-high 5.4 yards-per-carry average.
His rushing production took a nosedive in 2025, though, following the addition of Judkins and Sampson. He ended up with more receptions (26) than carries (24) on the season and never really found his footing in a contract year.
Ford is currently trying to keep his NFL career afloat with the Washington Commanders, set to enter training camp in a battle for their No. 3 running back spot. He’s once again competing with a rookie in Penn State’s Kaytron Allen, an intriguing athlete the Commanders selected early in the sixth round.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report could see Ford heading back to the AFC via trade. He recently posted a trade idea that would send Ford to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a late-round draft pick in 2027.
“Running back Jonathan Taylor logged a league-leading 323 carries last season. The last time he finished with 320-plus rush attempts (2021), the workhorse ball-carrier missed several games in the following season. The Colts need a solid No. 2 rusher who can also be an outlet in the short passing game. Ford can fill that role.”
Did the Browns mismanage a developed asset in RB Jerome Ford?
Ford left the Browns in free agency with barely a whisper. He ended the 2025 season on injured reserve after averaging just 3.5 yards per touch. With the younger Raheim Sanders already under contract through the 2027 season at a cheaper price, it became clear that Ford’s days as a change-of-pace back in Cleveland were over.
It’s worth noting, though, that the Browns’ offense was a disaster in 2025. Former head coach Kevin Stefanski shuffled through Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders at quarterback, and the Week 1 starting offensive line played exactly 20 snaps together before injuries became the theme of its season.
Ford only managed 73 scoreless yards on 24 carries, but it’s not like he was in position to succeed the few times his number was called. The Browns were often playing from behind as they got off to a brutal 3-12 start.
Ford will turn 27 in September and has only handled 340 total carries over his four-year career. It’s hard to see him getting jettisoned from the league anytime soon. To Moton’s point, if the Commanders feel Allen can handle the load, Ford could be shopped around roster cutdown day to teams in need of running back depth.
It wouldn’t be the best look for the Browns to watch a player they drafted and developed get flipped for a 2027 draft pick. He signed a one-year contract with Washington worth $1.4 million. Assuming he's fully healthy from last year’s shoulder issue, he could certainly be a valuable veteran back for a team like Washington, Indianapolis, or anyone else.
Ford was a good depth player who kind of got lost in the shuffle in Cleveland. He was one of the many veterans who bid Browns fans farewell this offseason amid the team’s ongoing youth movement, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him catch on again in 2026.
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