The Cleveland Browns absorbed a 34-10 season-opening loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, then received more discouraging news about running back Dylan Sampson once the game ended.
Sampson left the contest in the first half with a knee injury and did not return. He handled two kickoff returns for 64 yards before exiting and never recorded an offensive touch.
Reports from the visitors locker room painted a grim picture.
“#Browns Dylan Sampson on crutches after game, brace on left knee,” Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported.
The Browns initially listed the second-year back as questionable after he visited the medical tent and made trips to the locker room. They later ruled him out for the remainder of the game.
Cleveland’s ground attack never found traction. Quinshon Judkins, making his first regular-season appearance since fracturing his right fibula and dislocating his ankle late last season, carried 12 times for 33 yards and caught two passes for 17 yards.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson led the Browns in rushing with six carries for 38 yards. Rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion added three carries for 15 yards, while Raheim Sanders managed one rush for a single yard.
The team finished with 87 yards on 22 carries, averaging 4.0 yards per attempt.
Judkins ran for 827 yards and seven touchdowns on 230 carries across 14 games as a rookie in 2025. He also caught 26 passes for 171 yards that season.
If Sampson’s injury keeps him out for any length of time, Sanders is expected to serve as the primary backup to Judkins. The undrafted free agent from South Carolina appeared in four games last year, including one start, and totaled 27 rushes for 92 yards and one touchdown plus three receptions for 21 yards.
First-year head coach Todd Monken also used Concepcion on designed runs, a trend that could continue as Cleveland looks to get the ball into the hands of its first-round playmaker.
Monken had previously praised Sampson’s skill set.
“I think he’s going to be an explosive player. You just got to get him in space,” Monken said.
Watson completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards with one touchdown and one interception in his first start in 22 months. Most of his production came after Jacksonville had already built a large lead.
Trevor Lawrence carved up the Browns defense, going 18 of 23 for 245 yards and four touchdown passes with a 150.6 passer rating. The Jaguars scored on six of their first seven possessions.
Sampson, a fourth-round pick out of Tennessee in 2025, showed receiving ability as a rookie with 33 catches for 271 yards and two scores on 40 targets to go with 65 rushes for 175 yards.
The Browns now turn their attention to Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Official word on the severity of Sampson’s left knee injury is expected after further evaluation Monday.
Sanders also contributed on special teams Sunday, returning three kickoffs for 130 yards, including a 74-yarder that set up Cleveland’s first score, a 26-yard field goal.
The loss dropped the Browns to 0-1 while Jacksonville improved to 1-0.
