Quinshon Judkins officially active for Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens matchup

After a difficult offseason, the Cleveland Browns activated rookie running back Quinshon Judkins who will make his NFL debut against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2.

May 9, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (10) talks to the media during rookie camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Quinshon Judkins is officially active for the Cleveland Browns in their Week 2 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

The No. 36 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft will make his NFL debut in Baltimore after a turbulent offseason. Judkins, 21, missed all of training camp and the preseason as he sorted through legal issues stemming from an arrest for domestic battery this summer. Prosecutors in the state of Florida declined to pursue misdemeanor charges against the rookie running back, who remains the subject of an NFL investigation surrounding the alleged incident.

Judkins spent Wednesday in New York City meeting with the NFL about the case. He practiced in full on Thursday and Friday, leading to his activation on Sunday morning.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski noted that Judkins was in good shape. Certainly, the entire offensive coaching staff will be looking for their second-round rookie to improve the run game. During Week 1’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Browns mustered just 49 total rush yards.

Against a better defense in Baltimore on Sunday, the Browns need to be able to run the football if they want any chance of pulling off the upset.

Fellow rookie running back Dylan Sampson had 12 rushing attempts for 29 yards during Week 1’s loss to the Bengals. He also added eight catches for 64 yards, proving that he’s best used in space. Expect Sampson to continue to get snaps in Week 2 and beyond, even as Judkins gets his legs under him.

It’s possible that fourth-year running back Jerome Ford could see his role reduced in Cleveland’s offense. He was ineffective running the ball through the tackles against the Bengals, and could be completely phased out by Judkins and Sampson as the season goes on.

Judkins was a standout running back for two seasons at Ole Miss before transferring to Ohio State, where he helped the Buckeyes win a national championship. Despite splitting a backfield in college with TreyVeon Henderson, Judkins’ impact was felt in Columbus and the Browns took him off the board with a top 50 selection, signaling that he was going to become a focal piece of their offense right away.

While Judkins could still see punishment from the NFL’s independent investigation, his activation on Sunday proves that the Browns believe in his ability to help win football games.

The Browns waived wide receiver Gage Larvadain in order to activate Judkins to the 53-man roster. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Judkins will be on a pitch count and will take the workload as a backup running back on Sunday in Baltimore.