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Cleveland Browns News & Rumors

Browns’ Martin Emerson Suffers ‘Significant’ Achilles Injury

July 30th, 2025 at 9:40am CST by Sam Robinson

July 30: Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Emerson has beeen diagnosed with a torn Achilles, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The injury is all but certain to sideline the fourth-year cornerback for the entire 2025 season, which will tank his free agency stock next spring.

July 29: Martin Emerson did not finish practice for the Browns on Tuesday, being carted off, and it does not look like the young cornerback will be ready to return anytime soon.

An MRI will be conducted to determine the damage of an Achilles injury Emerson sustained, but NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport report the tests are expected to reveal a significant tear. This would threaten to sideline Emerson for the season, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicating the team is not optimistic here. As Emerson was carted off, Garafolo adds Jimmy Haslam received a seemingly negative update from Browns trainers.

This was to be an important season for Emerson; his rookie contract expires at year’s end. The Browns have used the former third-round pick mostly as an outside corner. This injury stands to impact Emerson’s free agency value while hurting a Cleveland defense that needs to prop up an offense carrying major questions. From 2022-24, Emerson had missed one game.

Emerson had usurped Greg Newsome as the Browns’ No. 2 corner, outsnapping the older cover man in 2023 and ’24. The Browns have not conducted known extension talks with Emerson, who turns 25 later this year, but he naturally would have drawn such interest even with Denzel Ward‘s big-ticket deal on the payroll. In light of Tuesday’s setback, Newsome figures to go from trade chip to back in the team’s good graces.

Newsome trade buzz circulated last year and resurfaced around the draft. Cleveland having Emerson contracted would have helped the team stomach trading its third CB regular, as Newsome is attached to a higher salary ($13.38MM) due to being on a fifth-year option. Suddenly, Newsome figures to be a far more important player on Jim Schwartz‘s latest Browns defense. The Newsome trade buzz also emerged before it was known the Browns were not, in fact, taking WR/CB Travis Hunter second overall. Though, a summer report also indicated a trade could remain in play. Newsome now looks set to play out his rookie contract in Cleveland.

Pro Football Focus did not have a high opinion of Emerson’s 2024 work. The advanced metrics site graded him as a bottom-10 corner last year; Newsome, though, checked in only five spots higher (106th). PFF had a higher opinion of Emerson’s work in 2023 (67th) and 2022 (23rd). Nik Needham, Tony Brown and 2023 fifth-round pick Cameron Mitchell reside as backup options for the Browns. A former Dolphins regular, Needham has extensive slot and boundary experience.

If the Browns want to shop for a new third option, Rasul Douglas and Asante Samuel Jr. remain available. As does Stephon Gilmore, who is looking to play a 14th season. Low expectations for this Browns edition may deter Gilmore, but a vacancy now exists. Kendall Fuller, who has slot and perimeter experience, is also a free agent. The Dolphins took Jack Jones and Mike Hilton off the market last weekend.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/25

July 29th, 2025 at 8:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: WR Ja’seem Reed
  • Released from active/PUP (injury settlement): WR Dan Chisena

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: C Bucky Williams
  • Waived: C Brady Latham

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

  • Signed: RB Jacob Saylors
  • Waived/injured: TE Luke Deal

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

There was a scary moment at 49ers practice earlier this week, as 49ers defensive lineman Tarron Jackson was carted off the field on a stretcher after suffering a neck injury. Fortunately, the player has since been released from the hospital (per Vic Tafur of The Athletic), but his placement on IR means he won’t suit up during the upcoming campaign. A former Eagles draft pick, Jackson got into three games with the Panthers in 2024 before joining the 49ers practice squad late in the season.

Jimmy Haslam “Cautiously Optimistic” That Quinshon Judkins Will Play For Browns

July 29th, 2025 at 5:53pm CST by Ben Levine

Browns second-round rookie running back Quinshon Judkins was arrested earlier this month and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery. The organization has held off on signing the first-year player as they await clarity on his legal issues, although Browns owner Jimmy Haslam expressed optimism today that Judkins will eventually suit up for his new squad.

While speaking with reporters, Haslam said he’s “cautiously optimistic” that Judkins will ultimately play for the Browns (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo). This obviously isn’t a ringing endorsement, and Haslam also seems to be implying that the draft pick could never play for the organization. Still, as the owner expressed frustration at his players’ continued domestic-abuse allegations (via Garafolo), it’s notable that he’s more confident than not that Judkins will eventually play.

Following two productive seasons at Ole Miss, Judkins continued producing after transferring to Ohio State for the 2024 campaign. The RB finished last season with 1,221 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns, leading to him being selected with the 36th-overall pick in this year’s draft.

As the Browns navigate a post-Nick Chubb era, Judkins was expected to play a significant role for his new squad. Veteran Jerome Ford is still penciled in atop the depth chart, but Judkins’ absence means the likes of Pierre Strong Jr. or rookie fourth-round pick Dylan Sampson could be thrust into the RB2 role.

Meanwhile, there have been more damning details released surrounding Judkins. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the player’s girlfriend claimed that the July incident wasn’t the first time that Judkins engaged in domestic abuse, although none of those past examples reached “the point of what occurred in this case.”

When Judkins’ legal issues are resolved, he’ll surely be subject to discipline from the league, which will only further delay his NFL debut. At the same time, it sounds like the Browns will also reevaluate their approach to educating players.

“Obviously we’re not communicating as well as we should and we take responsibility for that,” Haslam told reporters (via Garafolo).

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/25

July 28th, 2025 at 10:35pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: CB Keni-H Lovely

Baltimore Ravens

  • Activated from non-football injury list: LB Jake Hummel

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Activated from active/NFI list: S Josh Minkins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Jenkins, who switched to center this offseason, was dealing with a back injury in training camp and participated in a limited capacity on Monday, per USA Today’s Ryan Wood.

Evans, a sixth-round pick by the Rams in 2023, played in 10 games as a rookie but didn’t make the 53-man roster in 2024. He joined the Jets’ practice squad in December and signed a reserve/futures contract in January, but opted to retire instead.

Browns QB Kenny Pickett Dealing With Hamstring Injury

July 28th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Adam La Rose

For the time being, the Browns’ quarterback competition has only three healthy participants. Kenny Pickett is sidelined with a hamstring ailment.

The injury occurred late in Saturday’s practice, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Pickett will be re-evaluated in the coming days to determine the severity of the situation. In the meantime, veteran Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will split reps during practice.

Further testing will reveal the extent of the injury, but Mary Cay Cabot of cleveland.com reports the Browns are not planning an addition under center. That is certainly an encouraging sign with respect to Pickett’s prognosis as he looks to return to action as quickly as possible. The former first-rounder is among the signal-callers who have seen notable time with the starting offense so far in 2025.

Pickett looked to be in the lead for the QB1 gig this spring, although a report from one month ago indicated Flacco would enter camp as the frontrunner. The latter has familiarity with head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s scheme along with the backing of at least some Browns veterans. Flacco could look to further increase his odds of receiving the Week 1 nod with a slight uptick in work given Pickett’s absence.

Cleveland will, to no surprise, not consider a trade involving either of the rookies. With Gabriel and Sanders safe, many have pointed to Flacco and Pickett – both of whom are pending 2026 free agents – as a potential trade candidates at the end of the summer. The winner of this year’s quarterback competition will of course survive roster cutdowns, but the veteran which does not earn the gig could represent a backup option for outside suitors.

Nevertheless, the prospect of carrying all four quarterbacks on the roster through the start of the season has been raised, and general manager Andrew Berry recently repeated his willingness to take that route. In any case, Pickett’s health will be a factor in determining how the depth chart shakes out. His injury outlook will thus be worth monitoring.

NFL Minor Transactions: 7/25/25

July 25th, 2025 at 6:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor moves as we head into the weekend:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Chargers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Browns LB Jordan Hicks Retires

July 25th, 2025 at 8:40am CST by Adam La Rose

Jordan Hicks worked as a full-time starter with the Browns last season, and he was in position to do the same again in 2025. Instead, the veteran linebacker is hanging up his cleats.

Hicks announced on Instagram Friday (via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal) that he has retired. One year remains on his contract, but today’s news means Cleveland will likely be in the market for a linebacker addition. The team was already shorthanded at that spot given Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah‘s reserve/PUP designation in May which ensured he will miss all of the coming season.

“After 23 years of playing football, I’m officially retiring from the NFL,” Hicks’ announcement reads in part. “Football has given me more than I could have ever imagined… I’m looking forward to this next season of life and all that it brings. I walk away with peace knowing I gave football all I had, and that the best is yet to come.”

Hicks, 33, entered the NFL as an Eagles third-rounder. He played out his rookie contract with Philadelphia, establishing himself as a regular first-team presence on defense. The Texas product then spent three years with the Cardinals, logging over 1,000 snaps in each campaign. Hicks was released in 2022, but his time on the free agent market proved to be short-lived.

A two-year Vikings pact allowed Hicks to operate as a starter with his third career team. While in Minnesota, he reached triple-digit tackles both times, extending his streak in that regard to five years. Hicks took a two-year, $8MM pact to join the Browns last March, and he was a regular when healthy in 2024. Injury resulted in just 12 games played, but a notable snap share would have been expected this time around (especially with Owusu-Koramoah not in the picture for 2025).

Cleveland’s linebacker depth chart also includes Devin Bush, although the former first-rounder is facing simple assault and harassment charges from an alleged domestic violence incident. Even if Bush does wind up playing a full campaign in 2025, today’s news means the Browns will need to rely even more on second-round rookie Carson Schwesinger as a starter than they were already in position to. It will be interesting to see if the team pursues a short-term veteran signing in the near future.

A member of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team from 2017, Hicks will depart the NFL after playing 138 combined regular and postseason games. In addition to a championship, he exits the game with over $44MM in career earnings.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/25

July 23rd, 2025 at 6:55pm CST by Ely Allen

With several training camps underway, here are today’s minor NFL transactions:

Baltimore Ravend

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Claimed off waivers (from Eagles): DE K.J. Henry

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Houston fans may be discouraged to see a few big names on injured lists, but all is not lost. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Mixon’s “medical outlook is positive” as the team plans to gradually increase his activity throughout camp. Likewise, Autry is expected to ease his way back into camp workouts, as well. Pierce, on the other hand, is expected to be ready to come off the list at the start of camp.

Per ESPN’s John Keim, Cosmi likely won’t see much time on the field in camp, but he appears to be hitting all the mile markers en route to being healthy for the start of the regular season. With McLaurin officially beginning his holdout yesterday, the team has made the corresponding roster move. McLaurin will rack up fines of $50K per each day missed, but if the team can come to terms on an extension, they can make sure those fines are nullified.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/22/25

July 22nd, 2025 at 8:42pm CST by Ben Levine

With training camps kicking off around the NFL, teams continue to make adjustments to their rosters. Here are today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Waived: DT Dante Barnett
  • Placed on active/NFI: RB Zack Moss

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: K Mark McNamee

Houston Texans

  • Waived: CB Keydrain Calligan

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Waived: OT Savion Washington

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Waived: OT Obinna Eze

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

NFL Legal Notes: Browns, Rice, Ruggs

July 20th, 2025 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

In keeping with her prior update on first-year running back Quinshon Judkins, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com confirmed Judkins did not report to training camp with the rest of the Browns’ rookies on Friday. Veterans are due to report on Tuesday, with the first full-squad practice scheduled for Wednesday.

Judkins, a second-round pick, was expected to compete for a significant workload right away, as only Jerome Ford was penciled in above him on the depth chart. Judkins may still see a great deal of action in 2025, but a misdemeanor domestic battery charge has put his NFL career on hold. For now, Cleveland wants Judkins to focus on resolving his legal issues, and it sounds as if the team will not sign him to his rookie contract until that happens.

And, when the legal matter is resolved, Judkins could face discipline from the NFL. Until then, players like fourth-round rookie Dylan Sampson and holdover Pierre Strong will get more reps.

Let’s take a look at a few more legal matters impacting players around the league:

  • As expected, Browns LB Devin Bush was arraigned on charges of simple assault and harassment on Friday, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. After making 16 appearances (10 starts) in his first year in Cleveland in 2024, Bush re-signed with the club on a one-year pact in March. Although the addition of Carson Schwesinger in this year’s draft will eat into Bush’s playing time, the former first-round pick of the Steelers should remain involved in at least a rotational capacity. He will have a pre-trial hearing on August 15.
  • Despite a February DUI charge, and despite having failed to earn a role as a regular starter over his first four years in the league, the Ravens re-signed OL Ben Cleveland to a one-year deal this offseason. Baltimore appears to appreciate Cleveland’s ability to back up multiple spots on the O-line and is prepared to once again carry him on the roster as a reserve. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Cleveland’s trial has been postponed to November 13. He has pleaded not guilty.
  • Chiefs WR Rashee Rice was facing three civil suits stemming from the street-racing crash that took place in March 2024 (the criminal component of the incident was recently resolved, with Rice receiving a 30-day jail sentence and five years of probation). Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star says Rice settled one of the civil matters for $1.086MM, which will accrue interest until paid. Rice, a 2023 second-rounder, has no guaranteed money remaining on his rookie deal, and he stands to lose roughly $70K for every week he misses due to suspension in 2025 (h/t Spotrac, which also notes the club could seek repayment of a portion of Rice’s signing bonus — roughly $23K per week).
  • Like Rice, Texans RB Joe Mixon had a civil suit to resolve. As Sheree Paolello of WLWT 5 reports, Mixon settled a lawsuit involving a teenage boy who was shot with a real bullet while playing Nerf Wars near Mixon’s home in March 2023, when Mixon was still a member of the Bengals. As Paolello detailed in a full-length piece a few months after the incident, the shots were allegedly fired by the boyfriend of Mixon’s sister, though the victim’s family believed the gun and ammunition were owned by Mixon. The details of the settlement will not be released. 
  • Jordan Addison recently entered into a plea agreement in his DUI matter. While the Vikings’ wide receiver did consider going to trial, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (video link), he did not want the issue creating a distraction during training camp. He could still receive a suspension from the league, of course.
  • We heard in May that former Raiders WR Henry Ruggs, currently imprisoned for a drunk-driving incident that resulted in the horrific death of a woman and her dog, is eyeing an NFL return. He will be eligible for parole in August 2026, and if he is granted parole, Albert Breer of SI.com believes an NFL club could give him another chance. Breer says it is unclear whether the league would suspend Ruggs; a league official told Breer the matter would be “reviewed” when the time comes.
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