Quinshon Judkins walked out of the Cleveland Browns locker room on Sunday with a walking boot on his right foot, a development that immediately raised questions about the second-year running back’s health following a rain-soaked loss to the New York Jets.
Reporters on site noted the boot after the 17-12 defeat at MetLife Stadium, and the timing mattered. Judkins had been seen wincing on the sideline during the second half yet remained in the game, finishing with 14 carries for 44 yards and three receptions for six yards.
Those numbers continued a season-long pattern of modest production: he entered the afternoon averaging three yards per carry through the first four weeks.
The right foot and ankle have been a recurring concern. Late in his 2025 rookie season, Judkins suffered a dislocated right ankle and fractured fibula that required surgery and ended his year after a promising start that featured 827 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
He worked his way back for training camp this summer and had not appeared on the injury report ahead of Sunday’s game.
Still, the postgame boot invites scrutiny over whether something flared during the contest and whether that discomfort contributed to another afternoon of limited explosiveness.
Through five games, Judkins has yet to post a four-yard average in any outing, and his longest run of the season before Sunday covered just 11 yards.
Cleveland’s ground game has struggled as a unit, and Judkins has carried the bulk of the load.
The Browns needed a reliable run game in the wet conditions at MetLife to take pressure off Deshaun Watson and control the clock, yet Judkins and the rest of the backfield combined for modest yardage.
An injury, even a relatively minor one, could offer part of the explanation for the continued inefficiency. The team has not released details on the extent of the issue or a timeline, leaving the door open to anything from precautionary treatment to a more significant setback.
That uncertainty arrives at an awkward moment. The Browns host the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday, and depth behind Judkins is already thin. Backup Raheim Sanders also left Sunday’s game with an injury, while Dylan Sampson remains on injured reserve.
Judkins has been the clear lead back through the opening stretch, handling the majority of carries even when efficiency lagged.
If the boot signals a problem that will limit him or keep him out, Cleveland will have to redistribute touches in a unit that has not generated consistent push.
The organization will likely provide more clarity in the coming days, but the sight of the second-year back in a walking boot after another low-yardage outing has already added a fresh layer of concern for a running game that has yet to find its footing.
