Dylan Sampson Headed to Injured List, Browns Make Moves to Fill His Spot

Sampson was injured during the Cleveland Browns' Week 1 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Jahlani Tavai (31) tackles Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson (22) during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Browns 34-10. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Not only did the Cleveland Browns lose Sunday's season opener to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But the team also lost a major contributor on the offensive side of the ball.

On Tuesday, Sept. 15, the Browns officially announced that second-year running back Dylan Sampson was placed on the injured list, ruling him out for at least four weeks. Sampson, who was expected to be Quinshon Judkins' counterpart in the backfield, went down after the Jaguars' second kickoff of the afternoon in Week 1.

He exited the outing and did not end up returning, with him later being seen using crutches to move around.

The injury is a big hit to an already questionable Browns offense that posted just 10 points in the 34-10 defeat to the Jaguars, with the running back room combining for just 87 total yards on 22 attempts.

Sampson will not be able to return until Week 6, when the Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens. However, at the moment, his timetable and extent of the injury are unknown.

In hopes of improving on such efforts and making up for the now-lost Sampson, the front office announced that they had signed running back Jaleel McLaughlin from the practice squad, giving him a chance to play RB3 behind Judkins and Raheim Sanders.

While McLaughlin will likely not end up getting a lot of time on the field, he has a chance to get a good chunk of opportunities on the special teams side of the ball.

Across the last three years of NFL action, McLaughlin played for the Denver Broncos, combining for 226 carries, 1,093 yards and three touchdowns. He played in 41 total games and never really carved out a legitimate role for himself.

Now, in Cleveland, with an injury pushing him up from the practice squad, the freshly 26-year-old will get another shot to show what he has in the tank.

The Sampson news stole most of the spotlight, with McLaughlin being elevated to take his spot, but the Browns' front office also added a few more bodies to the mix on the practice squad following Week 1's disastrous performance.

Signed to the practice squad were running back Eric Gray, offensive tackle Obinna Eze, punter Wes Pahl and offensive tackle Xavier Truss. To free up room for the newcomers, cornerback D'Angelo Ross and defensive tackle Chris Williams were released.

None of these moves, outside of McLaughlin, will likely make an impact come Sunday, but they do show that the team is not afraid to keep things fresh as they look to bounce back following a defeat.

The Browns and Buccaneers will collide from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on Sunday, Sept. 20, at 1:00 p.m. EST.

And there, McLaughlin will get his first shot in the orange and brown to show what he has to offer.