HEADLINES

Jerome Ford

Patriots On Radar For RB Trade?

October 15th, 2025 at 9:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Considerable optimism about the Patriots’ rushing attack existed entering the season, as second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson impressed consistently during the summer. But the Pats’ bounce-back start to the season has brought ground-game concerns.

New England leads the AFC East for the first time since December 2021, sitting 4-2 with a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bills. But the Pats’ rushing attack ranks 26th, increasing Drake Maye‘s degree of difficulty in what has been a promising start to his sophomore season. The Henderson-Rhamondre Stevenson tandem has not found much success, with the latter’s fumbling issues a hindrance for a second straight season.

Next Gen Stats’ rush yards over expected metric ranks both players in the bottom quartile among qualified RBs. This comes as Pro Football Focus ranks New England’s offensive line ninth through six games. Some buzz about the Pats being RB-curious ahead of the trade deadline has emerged, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler indicating teams have a buyer’s move here on the radar.

Unlike last season, the Pats have not disciplined Stevenson for his fumbling issue. He bounced back from another giveaway to score twice in the Pats’ upset win over the Bills and leads the team with 157 rushing yards. Henderson is not far behind, at 148, with the two respectively logging 51 and 41 carries. Though, Stevenson has averaged a paltry 3.1 yards per rush; Henderson is at 3.6. The Patriots lost Antonio Gibson to a season-ending ACL tear in Buffalo.

One of the top RB trade chips, Breece Hall, is highly unlikely to be dealt within the AFC East. Another option, Alvin Kamara, has said he would contemplate retirement if traded out of New Orleans. Kamara being stuck on a rebuilding team does not seem to be an issue for a player who has signed two Saints extensions; his current deal (two years, $24.5MM) runs through 2026. Next year, though, does not include any guaranteed money. The Saints also have Kendre Miller as a successor, in the event Kamara is moved.

Would the Titans consider moving starter Tony Pollard as their rebuild takes shape post-Brian Callahan? Tennessee has been mentioned as a prepared seller, while Fowler colleague Dan Graziano predicts the Browns will trade Jerome Ford due to the arrivals of Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson in the draft. Ford is tied to a one-year, $1.75MM deal, though he would not be a clear upgrade over the Pats’ current coalition. Stevenson’s contract runs through 2028, and a $3.25MM guarantee is in place for 2026.

The Chargers and Chiefs have also surfaced as teams to watch for a running back move. Cap space is not an issue for the Pats, who hold an NFL-most $54.7MM (per OverTheCap) ahead of Week 7. They have nearly three weeks to further evaluate this situation, with this year’s deadline looming Nov. 4.

Chargers Interested In Trading For Running Back

October 12th, 2025 at 11:54am CST by Connor Byrne

OCT. 12: The Chargers are indeed focusing on running backs leading up to the deadline, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. They’ve been calling teams about depth RBs and starters.

OCT. 11: With injuries ravaging their backfield, the Chargers could swing a trade for a running back before the Nov. 4 deadline, Daniel Popper of The Athletic writes.

The Chargers entered the season with two high-profile acquisitions leading their RB group. After opening his career with four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Steelers, Najee Harris joined the Chargers on a one-year, $5.25MM deal last March. A little over a month after adding Harris, the Chargers used their first-round pick (No. 22) on former North Carolina back Omarion Hampton. Five weeks into the season, it’s fair to say the Chargers aren’t going to get max return on either investment this year.

Harris suffered an eye injury during a fireworks accident in July, but he was ready for their season-opening win over the Chiefs in Brazil on Sept. 5. The 27-year-old picked up just one carry in that game, though. Two weeks later, Harris tore his Achilles, ending his season after he recorded 15 carries for 61 yards. Barring another pact with the Chargers, Harris will head back to the open market next year in a less-than-ideal position.

Even when Harris was healthy, Hampton was clearly the Chargers’ No. 1 back. The 22-year-old dual threat has amassed 66 rushes for 314 yards and two touchdowns through the first five games of his career, adding 20 catches for another 136 yards.

Like Harris, Hampton is now on the shelf. He injured his ankle during a loss to the Commanders last Sunday, which forced an IR placement earlier this week. He’ll miss at least four games, all of which will take place before the trade deadline.

The Chargers, now 3-2 after back-to-back losses, will turn to the unproven RB duo of Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal for the time being. They’ll face their first test as a tandem against the reeling Dolphins (1-4) on Sunday. Haskins has tallied just 64 carries, including five this year, in parts of three NFL seasons. Vidal has four attempts this season and 47 overall since he joined the Chargers as a sixth-round pick from Troy a year ago.

The Chargers have Nyheim Hines and Amar Johnson on their practice squad, though they’re hard to rely on at this point. Hines, who tore his ACL in a jet ski accident in 2023, hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2022. Johnson is an undrafted rookie from South Dakota State with no NFL experience.

Unless the Chargers find an answer from within by the deadline, the Jets’ Breece Hall and the Browns’ Jerome Ford could be logical trade targets to team with Hampton (assuming he returns), Popper observes. Hall has gotten off to an impressive start this season and has made it known he wants to stay with the Jets. However, with the Jets 0-5 and unlikely to make a miraculous charge toward playoff contention, they could part with the soon-to-be free agent.

Ford, also due to reach the open market in the offseason, enjoyed a productive run from 2023-24. He piled up 1,378 yards and seven TDs on 308 carries during that 31-game span. The 26-year-old only has 18 carries in five games this season, though, with rookie second-rounder Quinshon Judkins establishing himself as the lead back in Cleveland. Ford’s time with the Browns could be winding down, and the Chargers may be among the potential suitors.

Browns Activate RB Quinshon Judkins

September 13th, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Browns have activated rookie running back Quinshon Judkins, setting him up to make his NFL debut on Sunday against the Ravens.

Judkins was arrested in July on charges of battery and domestic violence that were later dropped. The NFL is still investigating the incident, but for now, Judkins is eligible to play. He was a full-time participant in practice with the Browns on Thursday and Friday this week and will likely have a limited role this week, if he sees the field, as he gets up to speed with the offense.

Judkins’ arrest initially led to significant uncertainty regarding his future. At the time, the No. 36 pick had yet to officially sign with the Browns as second-rounders around the league were holding out for fully guaranteed rookie deals. The two sides agreed to put contract talks aside as Judkins’ legal issues played out, but he finally put pen to paper the day before Cleveland’s regular season opener.

The former Ohio State and Ole Miss rusher met with the NFL representatives on Wednesday in New York before returning to Cleveland. He’s on the Browns’ roster as a standard roster exemption at the moment, making him eligible to play as the league opted not to put him on paid leave via placement on the commissioner’s exempt list.

Before the Ohio State rookie’s legal troubles began, the Browns’ offensive backfield looked to feature the veteran leadership of a 40-year-old Joe Flacco juxtaposed heavily against a healthy dose of youth with two rookie rushers. Though Jerome Ford returned as the incumbent starter, having finished each of the past two seasons as Cleveland’s leading rusher, Judkins and fellow rookie Dylan Sampson looked too talented to be kept off the field early. The added fact that Ford was asked to take a pay cut in the days immediately following the draft seemed to hint at a decreased role for the 26-year-old.

With Judkins unavailable, though, the Browns leaned on Ford’s experience to open the season. While Sampson got the start, Ford played a slightly heavier snap count with 41 snaps to Sampson’s 33. In terms of production, though, Sampson dominated out of the backfield. Neither back saw much success running the ball, but Sampson’s 12 carries for 29 yards were slightly more effective than Ford’s six carries for eight yards. In the passing game, Sampson caught all eight targets from Flacco for 64 yards, while Ford’s only target resulted in a three-yard loss.

The gameplan isn’t likely to be too different against the Ravens tomorrow. Especially after watching Baltimore’s defense give up a league-worst 389 yards through the air in Week 1, Cleveland may attempt to let Flacco cut it loose in his old home stadium, which would mean a lot of checkdowns and screens for Sampson. Moving past Week 2, though, Judkins could find a lot of success working alongside Sampson, considering he’s more than used to sharing a backfield from his time at Ole Miss and Ohio State.

In their running styles, Judkins and Sampson seem like a perfect fit. Judkins runs with more of a decisive, one-cut style, attempting to get to his top speed by the time he hits the second-level defender. He’s not afraid of lowering the shoulder for contact with his strength and balance, making him difficult to bring down. Sampson plays with a bit more quickness and agility, finding his desired angle and cutting with speed. He certainly fights for every yard, but rather than lowering the boom, he’s more effective when he’s using small cuts and shakes to avoid getting hit head-on to eke out a couple more yards. Neither back was much of a receiver in college, but Sampson has clearly picked up that role quickly.

While it remains to be seen just how ready Judkins is for NFL play, just how much the Browns will be willing to utilize him, even just how long they’ll be waiting to hear on potential punishments levied by the league, tomorrow could be the start of something exciting for the Browns offense. It’s a lofty measuring stick, but visions of a 2020 Nick Chubb–Kareem Hunt duo don’t feel entirely out of reach for the two rookies’ ceilings together. While expectations for contention this year aren’t plentiful in Cleveland, if Sampson and Judkins can establish a strong rushing game for the Browns moving forward, the team’s two 2026 first-round picks could be instrumental in initiating a quick rebuild on the road back to the playoffs.

In order to make room for Judkins on the active roster, the Browns waived wide receiver Gage Larvadain.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Latest On Browns’ RB Depth Chart

June 21st, 2025 at 1:58pm CST by Ely Allen

After finishing 29th in the NFL last year in rushing yards, the Browns made a concerted effort this offseason to getting younger in their running backs room. In fact, Cleveland doubled down in the draft, using two of their seven picks on the position, becoming the first team in NFL history to draft two running backs and two quarterbacks in the first five rounds of any draft in the Common Draft Era.

Last year’s group was abysmal. Third-year back Jerome Ford led the team with 565 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games, six of which were starts. The phenomenal receiving contributions he showed in 2023 (44 catches for 319 yards and five touchdowns) effectively disappeared as he shouldered the main responsibility of being the primary rusher.

An aging Nick Chubb, 29, struggled in his return from a brutal knee injury. In eight starts through the middle of the season, Chubb failed to reach 60 rushing yards in any one game and scored in just two. His 3.3 yards per carry were the worst of his career; in contrast, before last year, he had never had a season with fewer than 5.0 yards per rush in his career. The third leading rusher was D’Onta Foreman. Also 29, Foreman’s 232 yards, zero touchdowns, and 3.3 yards per carry were among the worst numbers of his career.

Ditching the two 29-year-olds, the Browns only return Ford and Pierre Strong from last year’s diverse crop. Strong, 26, is the old man of the group, but his best season (2023) only saw 63 carries for 291 yards and a touchdown. Now Ford and Strong will be joined with a much younger duo as Cleveland welcomes second-round Ohio State rookie Quinshon Judkins, 21, and fourth-round Tennessee rookie Dylan Sampson, 20. Both Judkins and Sampson were higher draft picks in their respective draft than Ford (a fifth-round pick) and Strong (also a fourth-round pick, but 127th overall while Sampson was No. 126).

Judkins doesn’t add too much versatility in size to the room. Ford and Pierre both hover around 5-foot-10 or -11 and around 210-215 pounds, while Judkins adds a bit more size at just over 5-foot-11 and 221 pounds. Sampson brings a bit more diversity as a smaller 5-foot-8, 200-pound back.

In terms of production, Judkins brings consistency, never recording fewer than 1,000 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in his three years at Ole Miss and Ohio State, despite only spending one season as a full-time starter. His best season came in his freshman year, though, when he recorded 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns in just six starts (13 games). Sampson brings a flashy scoring ability after breaking out in his third year with the Volunteers. His 1,491 rushing yards in his only season as a full-time starter doesn’t quite match Judkins’ freshman campaign, but his 22 touchdowns beat any of Judkins three years.

In running style Judkins and Sampson seem like a perfect fit. Judkins runs with more of a decisive, one-cut style, attempting to get to his top speed by the time he hits the second-level defender. He’s not afraid of lowering the shoulder for contact with his strength and balance making him difficult to bring down. Sampson plays with a bit more quickness and agility, finding his desired angle and cutting with speed. He certainly fights for every yard, but rather than lowering the boom, he’s more effective when he’s using small cuts and shakes to avoid getting hit head on to eke out a couple more yards.

In a recent Q&A for TheLandOnDemand.com, ESPN’s Tony Grossi claimed that Judkins will be the planned starter moving forward with Sampson as the top backup. He points to Ford’s recent pay cut this offseason as evidence of a reduced role for the 25-year-old. Plus, his receiving abilities could become more useful in an RB3 role. While there is still plenty of time before the regular season for the depth chart to get shaken up, at the moment, it looks like youth will lead the way in the Browns’ rushing attack in 2025.

RB Jerome Ford Agrees To Browns Pay Cut

May 2nd, 2025 at 1:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jerome Ford saw the Browns make a pair of running back additions during the draft, something which may have opened the door to a trade taking place. Instead, the three-year veteran will remain in Cleveland for 2025.

Ford has agreed to a pay cut, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports. The 25-year-old was on track to collect $3.49MM next season, but that figure has now dropped to $1.75MM (which has been guaranteed). Ford remains on track for free agency in 2026.

The former fifth-rounder saw just eight carries during his rookie campaign, but his workload increased dramatically the following year. Nick Chubb‘s knee injury opened the door for Ford to take on a starting role, and he used it to total 1,132 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns. The passing game in particular saw Ford thrive with an average of 7.3 yards per reception.

The Browns did not bring back Kareem Hunt for the 2024 campaign, but Chubb returned midway through the season. That led to a drop in Ford’s workload (104 carries), although he saw his efficiency spike to 5.4 yards per carry. He will spend the offseason competing for snaps as part of a backfield which also includes Pierre Strong as well as the two rookies (Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson) added via the draft.

Of course, one of the main takeaways from today’s move is the fact it represents another sign Chubb will be playing elsewhere in 2025. Not long after the draft took place, general manager Andrew Berry noted the team was evaluating its options in the backfield, something which hinted toward Chubb not being retained. A Ford trade could have allowed for a deal to be worked out on that front, but that will not be the case. Chubb’s free agent market will remain worth monitoring, while Ford will look to help his free agent stock with a strong showing in 2025.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/3/25

January 3rd, 2025 at 10:23pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

New York Giants

Johnson sustained a concussion in a car accident earlier this week, per ESPN’s David Newton. The 2023 third-round pick will miss the Panthers’ final regular season after 14 appearances (including two starts) this year.

The Browns added three more players to injured reserve before Saturday’s matchup with the Ravens, including their leading rusher in Ford and second-leading pass-catcher in Njoku. Those absences have extended Baltimore to 19.5-point favorites as they look to lock up the AFC North. Cleveland will finish the year with 23 players on IR, including key players like Deshaun Watson and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

NFL Injury Updates: Eagles QB, Ford, Watts

December 29th, 2024 at 9:22pm CST by Ely Allen

The Eagles were able to pull out a dominant win over the Cowboys today despite playing nearly the entire second half with a third-string quarterback. Philadelphia started Kenny Pickett this week as usual starter Jalen Hurts continues to sit with a concussion, but rib injuries ended up taking Pickett out of the game, forcing Tanner McKee to make his NFL debut in the win.

Pickett came into the game with some rib issues, necessitating pain relief injections both before the game and at halftime. After taking a shot to the ribs early in the second half, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Pickett left the game headed for the X-ray room and did not return to the game.

McKee finished a game that was already very much out of hand, completing three of four passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns in his first game action after getting drafted in the sixth round last year. At 13-3, the Eagles are locked into the 2-seed. Even if the Lions lose tomorrow night, the No. 1 overall seed will be decided in the Vikings’ trip to Detroit next week. The loser will get the 5-seed, and Philadelphia will be the second-best division-winner no matter what.

With that in mind, it would be no surprise to see McKee start week 18 against the Giants. The team is risking nothing but further injury, and they’d likely be thankful for the opportunity to give both the starter, Hurts, and the primary backup, Pickett, an extra week of recovery.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • The Browns continue to deal with injuries in the offensive backfield. Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson and starting running back Nick Chubb are on injured reserve, and backup quarterback Jameis Winston was ruled out with a right shoulder injury before today’s game. Late in the first half of today’s loss to the Dolphins, Cleveland saw another backfield offensive player go down when running back Jerome Ford was landed on by right tackle Jack Conklin, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. Ford appeared to suffer an injury to his right foot and/or ankle and did not return for the remainder of the game. The Browns finished the game with Pierre Strong and D’Onta Foreman at running back. With the final game of the season coming against one of the league’s top rushing defenses in Baltimore, Cleveland may be fielding a third-string quarterback and running back in their season finale.
  • The Giants saw veteran defensive tackle Armon Watts suffer what looked to be a serious knee injury today, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. The cart was immediately rushed out for Watts, and he was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. While not likely to join IR like so many other defensive linemen on the team, Watts may have seen his last action of the season, regardless.

Latest On Browns’ Deshaun Watson

October 29th, 2023 at 12:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 29: Watson is still expected to avoid an IR stint, per Schefter and Dianna Russini of The Athletic. A source tells Schefter that Watson is unlikely to be sidelined for more than two weeks, while Russini hears that Watson is “day-to-day.”

OCTOBER 25: The Browns will push back Watson’s second comeback attempt, with Kevin Stefanski ruling him out for Sunday’s Seahawks matchup. Walker, whom the Browns signed to their active roster today, will make another start. Stefanski confirmed (via NFL.com’s Andrew Siciliano) Watson has residual swelling after leaving Week 7 early but reiterated the latest MRI showed no additional structural damage.

Also, in addition to the practice squad acquisition of Jordan Wilkins yesterday, Cleveland enlisted further reinforcements at running back today, signing Nate McCrary to the practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. With Chubb on IR and Ford doubtful for Sunday, McCrary will compete with Wilkins for a potential opportunity to be elevated and play behind Hunt and Strong in Seattle this weekend.

OCTOBER 24: Deshaun Watson‘s return to action did not last long. The high-priced quarterback left the Browns’ Week 7 game after 12 snaps. While Watson is cleared to play, he continues to experience shoulder pain.

A Tuesday MRI did not reveal any additional injuries coming out of Cleveland’s high-scoring win in Indianapolis, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Watson confirmed he is dealing with a strained rotator cuff last week, and cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot adds the seventh-year QB battling is an injury in the subscapularis muscle, the largest in the rotator cuff.

Watson continues to deal with movement limitations, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds this particular injury can shelve pitchers for between four and six weeks. Doctors have informed Watson this is typically a four- to six-week injury. Watson sustained the injury against the Titans in Week 3 and missed Week 4 after a Saturday MRI revealed the extent of the malady. After Cleveland’s bye week, Watson rested again. Despite returning to practice last week, Watson remains far from 100%.

Sunday’s Seahawks matchup will mark five weeks from the initial injury, though it is unclear how much Watson set his recovery back by returning to face the Colts. The Browns have not decided on a course of action with their $230MM quarterback.

Watson, of course, enjoys unrivaled security due to his fully guaranteed contract. Rushing back would make little sense through that lens. A collision with Colts defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo led Watson out of the Browns’ Week 7 matchup, with Cabot adding the QB’s velocity was down due to this injury affecting his shoulder rotation. The 2022 trade acquisition entering concussion protocol came about because of the independent neurologist; he was cleared of a head injury soon after. But this shoulder problem persists.

If Watson cannot go, the Browns would again turn to P.J. Walker, whom they bumped ahead of Week 1 backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson earlier this month. It is fairly clear this issue will linger for the foreseeable future, which could lead to more Watson absences for the 4-2 team. For Walker to play in Week 8, the Browns must sign him to the 53-man roster. The ex-Panthers backup has made the rare transition from gameday elevation to to QB1, but the team has used up his three allotted elevations this season.

Additionally, the Browns are expected to be without running back Jerome Ford for a bit. The initial Nick Chubb replacement suffered a high ankle sprain Sunday, per Schefter, who classifies this as a “low grade” sprain that is likely to sideline the second-year back a week or two. The Browns signed Kareem Hunt in the wake of Chubb’s knee injury, and they acquired Pierre Strong from the Patriots before the season. Hunt logged 10 carries (for 31 yards) last week; Strong totaled eight (for 25).

Browns “Pleased” With Current RB Group

October 5th, 2023 at 7:58pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns have made a handful of moves to account for Nick Chubb‘s season-ending injury, but that hasn’t stopped the organization from being mentioned as a potential suitor for any RBs who have been or could be made available. When asked specifically if the Browns would consider making a move for disgruntled Colts star Jonathan Taylor, GM Andrew Berry hinted that he’s content with his current running back corps.

“Because of the tampering rules, I know I can’t touch on specific players,” Berry said yesterday (h/t Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram). “We’re always active seekers, participants in the trade market, but I would say we’re pleased with the running back room.”

Jerome Ford topped 100 yards while filling in for an injured Chubb in Week 2, but since he’s entered the starting lineup, he’s put up two lackluster performances. Between the two games, Ford has been limited to 96 yards from scrimmage on 26 touches, although he did find the end zone twice in Week 3.

The team re-signed Kareem Hunt once Chubb went down, and the veteran has garnered the second-most snaps at the position for Cleveland over the past two weeks. However, the veteran RB has also struggled with a 3.9-yards-per-touch mark. Of course, Hunt could also still be finding his groove after waiting until the regular season to sign a deal.

Third-stringer Pierre Strong has put up the best numbers of the bunch, with the second-year pro averaging 5.9 yards on his 13 touches. The former Patriots fourth-round pick has served as the clear RB3 behind Ford and Hunt, and his upside could be a reason why the Browns aren’t in any rush to add reinforcement at the position.

Besides signing Hunt, the Browns also added one of Taylor’s former teammates to the practice squad. Deon Jackson started Week 1 for the Colts but was limited to only 14 rushing yards on 13 attempts. The former UDFA looked serviceable in 2022, finishing with 445 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. For the time being, he’s sitting fourth in the pecking order in Cleveland.

As Berry indicated, the Browns wouldn’t shy away from a no-brainer trade, and plenty could change between now and the October 31 trade deadline. For the time being, it sounds like the Browns will be sticking with their current running backs grouping.

RB Jerome Ford To Start In Cleveland Over Kareem Hunt

September 22nd, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Browns had operated with a one-two punch at running back for the past few years in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt and, after Chubb’s season-ending knee injury, the two will share a position room, once again. Cleveland brought Hunt back into the fold after a six-month stay on the free agent market, hoping that he can assist the team in replacing some of Chubb’s lost production. That being said, head coach Kevin Stefanski is adamant that second-year back Jerome Ford will be the Browns’ starter moving forward, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

Ford, a fifth-round pick last year out of Cincinnati, surpassed his rookie year yardage total in the first game of his sophomore season, showcasing his increased role in Hunt’s absence. When Chubb went down midway through the team’s loss to the Steelers last week, Stefanski and company turned to Ford. Ford delivered, utilizing a 69-yard rush late in the game to avoid an otherwise pedestrian performance and ending up with 106 rushing yards in the loss. Pierre Strong, drafted a round before Ford last year by the Patriots, took RB2 duties but only had two touches.

“Jerome is the lead back,” Stefanski told reporters yesterday, “but we have to work through all of those types of things and what Kareem’s ready to do this week if he’s ready to go this week, and what type of load he can carry and Pierre Strong’s role. So, I think we need to work through all of that, but yes, Jerome is the starter.”

Stefanski later informed reporters that Hunt will be available to play this Sunday, according to ESPN’s Jake Trotter, meaning the team intends to figure out how much Hunt can handle this weekend. While the team reportedly explored other running back options like then-Rams rusher Cam Akers, Hunt’s familiarity with Cleveland and his ability to work his way back into the offense fairly easily was a major factor in his signing.

A source had told Cabot that Hunt is down 10 pounds from his playing weight in 2022. His apparent loss of explosiveness last year was one of the reasons the Browns allowed him to walk, so perhaps he’s leaned up in an effort to gain back another step.

While his familiarity allowed him to slip back into the Browns’ offense, Hunt still has some things to learn before he becomes a regular contributor once again. He may end up eventually taking a lead role in the team’s offense if he can outperform Ford, but for now, he’ll fall back into the RB2 role he held behind Chubb for the past four years.

Load More Posts