Sunday's matchup against the Buffalo Bills had the Browns putting up a tough fight. They not only failed the game 23-20 but also witnessed their running back Qunishon Judkins sustain a serious injury.

The running back dislocated his ankle, fractured his fibula, and will undergo surgery on Tuesday. While the Browns are robbed of their running back for the rest of the season, head coach Kevin Stefanski reassured that Judkins will be fine.

“Like we talked about last night, knowing the kid, he’ll bounce back better than ever,” Stefanski said. He also clarified that Judkins did not suffer from any knee damage during the season-ending injury. 

The Browns’ leading rusher, with 827 yards and 7 touchdowns, was out around two minutes before halftime. Judkins was injured after he caught a short pass from quarterback Shedeur Sanders, but was pulled down by linebacker Matt Milano. This resulted in a six-yard loss when the Bills were already leading 20-10.

Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, another rookie, and veteran Trayveon Williams subbed for him in the second half. The Browns, plagued by injured players, have felt rookie Dylan Sampson’s absence in the past two games.

He was out thanks to a hand injury, and though not yet confirmed, Sampson might return for the remaining two matches. Stefanski briefly spoke about Sampson and informed that he “Continues to get better by the day.”

“We’ll see what that looks like for this week. We’ll take in information, but feel good about the guys that we have, and they’ll be ready to step up.”

Browns Have Faith in Judkins

Sanders stated that he is heartbroken over Judkins’ injury. In a post-game conference on Monday, he stated, “It really hurt that Quinshon went down.” 

“Me and Quinshon were in the room talking yesterday til 11-11:30, just about life, just about everything. Just building that bond. Truthfully, it hurts.” 

Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is optimistic about Judkins’ recovery and said, “Q, he’s a dawg, so I know he’s going to wake up and attack it and obviously get back so he can come back next year and play.”

Meanwhile, Trayveon Williams praised 22-year-old Judkins’ work ethic. “Just the way he comes to work every day,” he said. 

“He’s a young guy, but he approaches it like a veteran. I’m so proud of him.

Stefanski, too, expressed his unhappiness with the situation before reassuring Judkins will rebound. 

“So disappointed for him, but he’s in good hands, and he will bounce back.”

According to Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot, Judkins will reappear on the practice field in around 4-5 months, followed by extensive rehab and recovery. Judkins will sit out watching the Browns fight to ensure they don’t end up 3-14 again.

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Joyita Das