The Cleveland Browns came into the 2026 season expecting the running game to be the most reliable and stable part of the offense, and with good reason. They were getting Quinshon Judkins back after a very promising rookie season that was derailed in the end by a nasty ankle injury that cut his season short–he had amassed 827 yards in 14 games before that. But Judkins was healthy to start the year and the presumption was that he would take a step forward this season.
It hasn’t quite happened, though. Judkins has 177 yards on 59 carries, an average of just 3.0 yards per carry, and has a season high of just 70 yards. As a whole, the Browns’ rushing game has 375 yards through four games, which is 23rd in the NFL, and the yards per carry (3.7) ranks 25th. Judkins has been effective as a receiver (15 catches, 95 yards) but not so much as a rusher.
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Judkins has not had a 100-yard output for the Browns in 18 games. Offensive coordinator Travis Switzer was asked about that this week.
Said Switzer: “I think he’s certainly capable of doing that. I mean, just like with any skill player, there’s a lot of variables that go into the stats. People will talk about, ‘well, when we rush for this many yards, we win.’ And it’s like, well, what came first, the chicken or the egg? I mean, if you’re winning games, you’re going to be running the ball more, so there’s a lot of things that go into the stats portion of it. All we can do is evaluate and look at each individual play and what we’re doing there.
“And he’s certainly capable of those big number days. But like I said, I don’t think any of our guys really get caught up on the stats part of it.”
There’s hope that Judkins can get it turned around against the Jets this week–they’ve allowed 494 yards on the ground, which is 25th in the league. Browns vs. Jets kicks off at 1 pm ET on Sunday in the Meadowlands.
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