Insiders share how Browns could handle Quinshon Judkins' contract after arrest

As was expected, Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins remained unsigned and didn't report for training camp with other first-year Browns players on Friday after he was arrested on charges of battery and domestic violence regarding an alleged incident on July 7. 

During a recent appearance on Columbus sports radio station 97.1 The Fan, NFL insider Adam Schefter of ESPN detailed how the Browns could handle the 21-year-old's contract.

"I think you have to sign him, but now you gotta protect yourself," Schefter explained, Steelers Depot's Ross McCorkle shared. "There's language in the contracts. Like, what if he's found guilty? What if the charges...what if he goes to jail? There's language in the contracts that protects the team. They're not gonna guarantee the money."

Judkins was among a large group of 2025 second-round draft selections who hadn't yet put pen to paper on deals after Cleveland's Carson Schwesinger and Houston's Jayden Higgins received fully guaranteed contracts. 

However, Judkins' situation changed after it was learned that his then-girlfriend told police that he struck her "with a closed fist in the chin/lip area" and "in the left arm and thigh while in a car leaving Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport on July 7." 

On Friday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot shared that the Browns "have told Judkins to prioritize his legal matter over football right now." Cabot also said that the team is still gathering "more information on Judkins’ misdemeanor domestic battery charge...before determining how to proceed" regarding his NFL future. 

"When the Browns have clarity on what happened between Judkins and his girlfriend that day, they’ll likely work towards signing him to his four-year rookie contract worth about $11.389M and let him resume his football career," Cabot added. 

That said, Schefter seems convinced Judkins has no chance of receiving a fully guaranteed deal.

"The Browns will not fully guarantee Quinshon Judkins' contract," Schefter predicted. "Now, maybe they wouldn't have anyway, but this, I think, just clinched it. There's no way they're guaranteeing that money now." 

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio previously revealed that Judkins can be punished per the terms of the NFL's personal conduct policy, even though the ball-carrier is "technically not employed by the Browns" as an unsigned player. Cabot and others have suggested Judkins could face a suspension that sidelines him for a minimum of six games. 

Without Judkins in camp, Jerome Ford is on track to serve as Cleveland's RB1. Ford led the Browns with 565 rushing yards last season.