Will Quinshon Judkins Play vs. Bengals? Insider Confirms Browns’ Plans After $11.4M Contract Announcement

The Cleveland Browns’ backfield just got a whole lot more complicated. On Saturday, the front office locked down second-round pick Quinshon Judkins with a four-year, $11.4 million fully guaranteed rookie deal, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The timing? One day before a divisional clash with the Cincinnati Bengals. So, the question is simple, but burning: Does Judkins suit up in Week 1?

Rapoport didn’t leave room for doubt. The rookie star is not expected to play in Sunday’s opener. So the Browns will roll into the Huntington Bank Field leaning on Jerome Ford, rookie Dylan Sampson, and undrafted back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. For now, the 21-year-old stays on ice. But make no mistake, once he’s ready, Cleveland’s rotation could flip fast: Judkins, Ford, and Sampson fighting for carries. Until then, patience sits back in Cleveland’s future.

But Quinshon Judkins’ wait isn’t just about football. The rookie’s off-field drama began when he was arrested on July 12 and initially charged with touch/strike battery/domestic violence. After reviewing the case, Florida prosecutors later concluded a conviction was unlikely and declined to bring formal charges. Despite that decision, the NFL’s own investigation remains open.

So, for now, Cleveland expects a temporary roster exemption (a standard move for players who missed camp). That means Quinshon Judkins can practice and get up to speed without costing the Browns a roster spot. They drafted him at No. 36 for a reason: a 2024 NCAA champ who piled up 1,060 yards in one season at Ohio State. More so, he was the cut out of the cloth for Kevin Stefanski’s wide-zone scheme. No wonder they didn’t ponder on him.

NFL, American Football Herren, USA Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns Dec 29, 2024 Cleveland, Ohio, USA Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski looks on during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Huntington Bank Field. Cleveland Huntington Bank Field. Ohio USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20241229_kab_bk4_032

Still, Week 1 belongs to Ford and Sampson. Ford, entering the final year of his rookie deal, even took a pay cut to secure his spot after Cleveland doubled down at running back in April. Sampson, the rookie, offers burst, while Sanders—the late August claim—fills out the depth chart. Stefanski isn’t blinking. “Yeah, our guys have worked very hard,” he said, crediting Mike Bloomgren and OC Tommy Rees for setting the tone.

The Bengals, meanwhile, lost run-stopping anchors Germaine Pratt (to the Raiders) and Akeem Davis-Gaither (to the Cardinals). Cincinnati’s second level suddenly looks softer than usual. For Stefanski, the math is simple. Soften the shell, then let Joe Flacco find his windows.

And that last part is critical. Flacco’s cannon comes with baggage. Eight interceptions in just five games back in 2023. You don’t hand him the keys to throw 40 times and hope for the best, but protect him. Letting Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, and Wyatt Teller clear the lanes. You make the Bengals play from behind, drag their safeties down, and then strike. It’s why Judkins was drafted—to eventually be that engine. But until his time comes, all pressure comes down to one man. Joe Flacco.

The Browns’ QB drama

Here’s the cold truth: Joe Flacco isn’t being handed a victory lap in Cleveland—he’s being handed a stopwatch by being QB1 this week. Mary Kay Cabot said it out loud on 92.3 The Fan: “I don’t know if he even [gets] as much as half a season because I think they are really going to wanna know what they have in their rookies.” A countdown clock. One wrong throw and all is gone. It’s brutal, but in Cleveland, the leash is shorter than a two-yard checkdown.

And honestly, why wouldn’t it be? Flacco’s magical 2023 run was straight-up Hollywood, but sequels don’t always live up. The Browns have been living in a quarterback-haunted house since 1999—forty reminders that the curse is real. Flacco is like a bandage over a wound; this franchise can’t stop reopening. With two first-round picks staring at them in the 2026 draft and a quarterback class featuring Arch Manning and Nico Iamaleava, how long can Cleveland afford to burn daylight on nostalgia? You can’t cling to the past when the future is practically banging on the door.

That’s the tension hanging over Cleveland right now. The Browns didn’t bring Flacco back just to watch him collect dust, but Gabriel has already injected a spark that’s impossible to ignore. One rookie mistake explained away by RGIII won’t erase the bigger picture—Gabriel’s timing, poise, and fearlessness have made the Browns wonder if the future is already here. And if it is, the veteran might be nothing more than a safety net collecting dust on the sideline.

The post Will Quinshon Judkins Play vs. Bengals? Insider Confirms Browns’ Plans After $11.4M Contract Announcement appeared first on EssentiallySports.