Browns RB Quinshon Judkins’ Bills joint practice absence explained

As the Cleveland Browns offense tries to find their footing under new head coach Todd Monken, running back Quinshon Judkins will be doing plenty of heavy lifting. However, he needs to be on the gridiron to truly make an impact.

Judkins missed his second straight practice on Thursday, missing out on a joint session with the Buffalo Bills. The running back is dealing with a “nagging” injury, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. But Monken doesn’t think it should cause any long-term concern, via Zac Jackson of the the Athletic.

“Out of precaution,” Monken said. “I think we were smart with where he’s at.”

The fact Judkins’ injury is undisclosed adds some mystery to the situation. As does the fact it is consistently nagging him. But Cleveland is well aware of what they have in Judkins. And after seeing his rookie season end early due to injury, they’d rather be cautious than risk a further setback.

As a rookie, Judkins turned 230 carries into 827 yards and seven touchdowns. He had the 18th-most carries of any running back in the NFL. And with another year under his belt, his responsibilities in Cleveland’s offense should only increase.

Especially with the Browns’ current quarterback competition. Neither Deshaun Watson nor Shedeur Sanders have inspired much confidence. Cleveland’s easiest path towards moving the ball forward may be through Judkins.

The Browns will continue to pay close attention to their running back and his nagging injury. But they aren’t pressing the panic button as Week 1 draws closer.