Growing Quinshon Judkins injury concern puts Browns in tough spot for Ravens game

Quinshon Judkins was reportedly out on the practice field for the Cleveland Browns on Thursday, but not in the way that fans were hoping for.

Judkins was spotted by members of the media, but he didn’t participate in stretching or individual drills during the open portion of practice, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. Cleveland’s top running back ended up going down as a nonparticipant for the second straight day, leaving his availability for Sunday’s massive home game with the Baltimore Ravens in doubt.

Dylan Sampson practiced in a limited fashion in his first official work since injuring his knee in Week 1. If both Judkins and Sampson can’t go, Cleveland would be down to Jaleel McLaughlin and the recently-added Audric Estime at running back on Sunday.

Injuries are piling up on the Browns at the worst possible time

The importance of Sunday’s game for the Browns cannot be overstated. A win would send them to 4-2 and back atop the AFC North standings. A loss would knock them to .500 and back into the muck with Pittsburgh (3-2) and Cincinnati (3-2).

Injuries are piling up across the NFL, but the Browns’ practice report this week has been something else. Head coach Todd Monken held a walkthrough on Wednesday due to a lack of bodies. The team later released a practice report that included 17 players.

Judging by Thursday’s update, the Browns in the most danger of missing Sunday’s game are defensive linemen Derek Barnett (ankle), Kalia Davis (quad), Mason Graham (knee) and Mike Hall Jr. (ankle), linebacker Carson Schwesinger (ankle), guard Teven Jenkins (back), and Judkins, the running back Cleveland can ill afford to lose right now.

All of those players missed practice for the second straight day and would likely need to suit up in at least a limited capacity on Friday to have a shot at being active.

The Cleveland Browns' running back depth chart is suddenly looking shaky for Week 6

Sampson might be trending in a more positive direction than Judkins at this point, which could create a good-news-bad-news situation. The good news is Sampson’s explosiveness, especially in the short passing game, would be a welcome addition. The bad news is that he hasn’t touched the football yet on offense after suffering his knee injury on special teams early in the season opener.

McLaughlin brings an intriguing skillset to the table and could be poised for an uptick in playing time. He saw a season-high 17 snaps against the Jets last week but didn’t end up getting a touch. He scored a 28-yard touchdown rush on his lone snap of the Steelers game in Week 4, so it might be a good idea to give the slippery back more opportunities.

Estime got some run with the New Orleans Saints in 2025, turning 46 carries into 198 yards and a touchdown. But the bulk of his yardage came against the Tennessee Titans in late December. The 227-pound bruiser averaged 3.25 yards per carry in the other four games he saw carries in.

As for Judkins, he hasn't been much a factor when healhty behind the Browns' new-look offensive line and tight end group. Through five games, he's gained just 221 yards on 73 carries, an averaged of 3.0 per attempt. Even if he plays, a less-than-100-percent Judkins could have a tough time getting going against a Baltimore defnese that ranks 12th in EPA per rush.

The key to Sunday’s game is clear as day. Baltimore comes to Cleveland with Derrick Henry, boasting the third-best rushing attack in football at 164.4 yards per game. The Browns rank 21st, thanks in part to quarterback Deshaun Watson’s 167 yards on 37 attempts.

If that disparity plays out on the field, it might not be a game for long. Judkins is an important piece of the puzzle for the Browns, and of all their injuries entering the final practice of the week, a next-man-up mentality at running back is one the team may not be equipped to handle.

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