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Kevin Stefanski Hints Major Announcement on Quinshon Judkins

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Pankti Parmar | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 3:31 PM ET

Heading into Week 3, Quinshon Judkins became the unexpected rookie stealing the thunder and the chances of becoming a potential Browns starter this season. Although the RB made a late appearance on the Browns roster, he needed all but one game to secure his spot on the unofficial depth chart of the team.

The social media post quickly created an anticipatory buzz in the Browns fan base, which has been hungry for some promising plays. But Coach Kevin Stefanski was quick to rein in the excitement surrounding Judkins becoming a starter next week (with a subtle hint at it becoming official).

Kevin Stefanski Clarifies Quinshon Judkins’ Status

“Quinshon did great,” Stefanski said in his post-game conference.

Judkins’ 31-yard run in the fourth quarter Sunday in Baltimore was the longest play of Cleveland’s season, but it meant much more for the Browns fans. The RB averaged 6.1 carries in his debut game, with 10 carries for 61 yards.

However, Stefanski was equally quick to throw a damper on the rumors of Judkins starting this week.

“The unofficial depth chart is handled by the team’s media relations staff and is aptly named as ‘unofficial’,” he asserted to the reporters.

Our unofficial depth chart for Week 3 vs. the Packers

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 16, 2025

But that doesn’t mean he is not in the process of becoming a starter, right? It is clear that Stefanski is yet to make a decision, and another big day for Judkins, like the one he had against the Ravens, should nudge the Browns HC in the direction of naming him the starter.

Browns Will Continue ‘Ramping’ Judkins Up

So far, the Ole Miss product has thoroughly impressed Stefanski. But he still wants to give the rookie some time to settle into his role before putting the pressure of becoming a starter on him.

After all, the preseason was proof enough of how quickly a rookie can go from hopeful to flat-out embarrassing.

“We want to continue to bring him along from a conditioning standpoint, (and with) understanding all the nuances of the scheme. So, that will only grow each week. He missed the opportunity to be tackled in preseason and training camp and those types of things,” the Browns HC continued.

“(There’s) continuously a part of ramping him up and getting tackled, having great ball security, catching the football, all those types of things that he missed. But we’re obviously ramping him up.”

This Sunday will be a good starting point for Judkins’ evaluation as a long-time player for the Browns, and it won’t be easy at all. The Packers’ defense is as concerning as it can get for the Browns, and Judkins will have to stand out against that playoff-level defense.

No one is expecting any miraculous win from the Browns. They’re clearly the underdogs, but Judkins could still stand out with his performance, given how desperate Cleveland’s offensive situation is.

The Browns host the Packers this Sunday at Huntington Field.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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