Browns' Dylan Sampson expected to miss significant time with knee injury
Cleveland's running back is expected to be out long-term after hurting his knee in Jacksonville, with surgery looming as the likely next step for the promising second-year back
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The Cleveland Browns' worst fears on Dylan Sampson are coming into focus. The running back is expected to miss significant time with the knee injury he suffered in Sunday's loss at Jacksonville, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, after being spotted on crutches following the game.
Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN): Browns RB Dylan Sampson is expected to miss significant time due to the knee injury suffered Sunday in Jacksonville, per sources. Sampson was spotted on crutches after the game.
The update lands a day after Sampson left the opener on crutches and in a knee brace, with further tests set for Monday to determine the extent of the damage. Those tests have evidently painted a grim picture: significant time on the sideline is now the expectation for a back who opened the season as Cleveland's lead runner before exiting with the injury.
The injury compounds a brutal opening week for the Browns, who were blown out 34-10 by the Jaguars and now sit 0-1 with quarterback questions swirling. Deshaun Watson is in line to keep the starting job for Sunday's trip to Tampa Bay, per Todd Monken, but the backfield around him suddenly looks far thinner.
Sampson, a 2025 fourth-round pick out of Tennessee, broke out with the Browns last season and opened this year as the lead back. With an extended absence now expected, the pressure shifts to the rest of the room to carry the rushing load. The team has not announced a roster move or an IR decision for Sampson as of Monday night, so the official word on just how long he is out — and whether surgery is required — should come as the week unfolds.