The news

Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins is out for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, per @AdamSchefter. The decision updates the earlier report, per @RapSheet, that Judkins would test his injured ankle in a pregame workout to determine whether he could play.

Linebacker Carson Schwesinger also was scheduled to test an ankle injury before the game, per @RapSheet. There was optimism about his availability, but the reporting does not establish a final playing status for him.

Defensive tackle Mason Graham adds another availability concern for Cleveland. Listed as questionable, he is not expected to play against Baltimore, per @AdamSchefter, leaving the Browns preparing for an absence in the middle of their defensive front.

By the Wire Report team.

Prior context

Judkins practiced only once during the week, with that session coming Friday. He carried a questionable designation into Sunday and had worn a precautionary walking boot earlier in the week before the pregame ankle assessment.

The distinction between his earlier designation and the subsequent ruling is central to the update. Questionable left open the possibility of playing; the out designation settles his availability for this matchup after the reported workout.

Graham’s situation involves MCL and ankle sprains. He previously had been designated week-to-week, and his questionable status against Baltimore reflected the uncertainty surrounding whether he would be available for the scheduled Week 6 contest.

Cleveland elevated two defensive tackles from the practice squad Saturday, per @AdamSchefter. It was the second consecutive week the Browns had called up both interior linemen, following their Oct. 10 elevations, giving the defense additional depth with Graham’s participation in doubt.

Graham was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and anchors the interior rotation when healthy. His anticipated absence therefore concerns an established part of that rotation, with the practice-squad moves supplying options behind him.

What it means

Judkins’ absence requires Cleveland to redistribute carries among its remaining active running backs. The immediate offensive consequence is a change in who supplies the backfield production against Baltimore, with the rotation to be set as the game gets underway.

The defensive questions concern separate positions. Schwesinger’s ankle assessment affects linebacker availability, while Graham’s injuries affect the defensive tackle rotation; an encouraging outlook for Schwesinger does not resolve the uncertainty along the interior.

The elevations give Cleveland additional defensive linemen to use if Graham cannot suit up. They establish a depth response to his uncertain status, although they do not establish how the Browns will divide snaps during the game.

Both clubs enter their first division meeting of the 2026 regular season missing key offensive starters and interior linemen. For Cleveland, that broader setting makes the final active roster relevant to both its backfield plans and the personnel available on defense.

What reporters are saying

The initial pregame report, per @RapSheet, centered on ankle workouts for Judkins and Schwesinger. It paired Judkins’ limited practice participation with optimism that Schwesinger would be able to play, rather than presenting the same outlook for both players.

The subsequent Judkins update, per @AdamSchefter, supplies the firm outcome of the running back’s availability question. For Graham, the report per @AdamSchefter uses the different formulation that he is not expected to play; that expectation should remain distinct from an official inactive designation.

What to watch next

Schwesinger’s final status is the outstanding ankle decision from the original pregame story. His workout and the official active-roster decision will determine whether the optimism surrounding his availability translates into participation against Baltimore.

Cleveland’s final inactive list is scheduled for release 90 minutes before kickoff and will confirm Graham’s availability. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET in Cleveland, after which the backfield workload and defensive line rotation will show how the Browns use their available personnel.

Companion to our earlier report: Browns' Quinshon Judkins, Carson Schwesinger to test ankles pregame, per Rapoport.