Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford has become something of a forgotten man heading into his fourth season with the team.
That was understandable in his rookie year as Cleveland’s ground game was rolling with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Ford was able to take a more prominent role in 2023 after Chubb’s season-ending knee injury as he rushed for more than 800 yards, which included 100-yard days against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.
Ford took a step back last season as he only topped
70 rushing yards in a game twice and had nine games with less than 45 rushing yards.
Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry took an aggressive approach to the run game by selecting Dylan Sampson and Quinshon Judkins in the 2025 NFL Draft. The club also restructured Ford’s contract to reduce his salary from $3.4 million to $1.75 million, not necessarily a sign that “you’re our guy!”
The NFL is a place where things rarely work out as planned, however, and the situation with the running backs in Cleveland is no exception.
Judkins remains away from the team and unsigned while dealing with off-field legal issues. And while there are headlines seemingly every day saying that his signing is imminent and he could even play in Sunday’s season-opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, the reality is that Judkins hasn’t played a game since January 20, and has yet to practice with the Browns. So the idea of him signing, suiting up, and just walking into the game on Sunday feels like a stretch.
Cleveland claimed running back Raheim Sanders off waivers last week, but he is still learning the playbook. And while Sampson should see significant playing time, he is still a rookie, so you don’t know what you have until the games start for real.
Which brings it back to Ford, the senior member of the group who is now in line to see more playing time.
And even with a fluid situation, Ford is confident that everything will work out, as he said during a media session on Tuesday:
“If I do my job, everything else will fall into place. (And) it’s not just me that’s a part of the run game. My O-line, wide receivers, quarterbacks carrying out fakes, or receivers digging in, it’s about everybody coming (together) and being a part of it. Any way I can help, I’ll help.
“I’m ready to go at the gate, treat every day and everything like my number’s going to be called and I’m just ready.”
Ford may have entered training camp as the forgotten man among the running backs. But with the regular opening in just five days, the opportunity to take a prominent role in the running game is there for the taking.
