Browns defensive tackle Mike Hall and running back Quinshon Judkins had a bit of a dust up in training camp, with the incident apparently causing Hall to miss nearly three weeks of practice.
Cameras captured an aggressive block by Judkins on a stumbling Hall. Rumors flew that there was more to it than that; neither the team nor Hall’s agents provided answers in response to inquiries from PFT as to whether the rumors had any merit.
Regardless, Hall met with reporters on Wednesday and said that the incident is in the past.
“Yeah, I mean, we’re teammates at the end of the day, so, I mean, it’s just a little, you know, mishap on the field,” Hall said. “But other than that, you know, he’s my brother, at the end of the day, he’s still my teammate. So we were getting ready to play Jacksonville and that’s what I’m worried about.”
Hall was asked whether he has spoken to Judkins in an effort to clear the air.
“Yeah, like I said before, he’s my teammate, so I mean, got to talk to him at some time,” Hall said. “But we’re getting ready for Jacksonville and that’s all I’m worried about.”
If there was anything more to it, the Browns successfully kept it from getting out. And Hall seems to be over it.
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Defensive end Myles Garrett and quarterback Mason Rudolph became forever linked in NFL lore on the night of November 14, 2019, when Garrett ripped away Rudolph’s helmet and struck him over the head with it.
Rudolph, who is still with the Steelers after a one-year break with the Titans, explains that he, and his team, are happy that Garrett has been traded out of the division, from Cleveland to the Rams.
Via Steelers Depot, Rudolph said this in an appearance on teammate Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast: “As a Pittsburgh Steeler, I’m thrilled that he is no longer in the AFC North. I think [coach] Mike McCarthy’s fired up about that, I think [offensive coordinator] Brian Angelichio is fired up about that. I know our tackles are fired up about that. . . . And the top of my frontal lobe, yes.”
If the season goes as planned, Rudolph wouldn’t have been on the field at the same time as Garrett. And Pittsburgh won’t see Garrett at all in 2026, unless both teams make it to the Super Bowl.
That destination is far more likely for one team than it is for the other.
The Raiders naming Kirk Cousins their starting quarterback to open the 2026 season was hardly a surprise.
While Las Vegas had been projected to draft Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall for months, the team’s brass had said publicly that its preference was for a rookie quarterback to sit and learn behind a veteran.
But now that it’s official, Mendoza has become a member of a rare group of quarterbacks from recent years.
Mendoza is the first quarterback since Baker Mayfield in 2018 not to start Week 1 after being selected at No. 1 overall.
Mayfield’s situation was not particularly unusual at the time, as Jared Goff had been through the same thing in 2016.
But since then, Kyler Murray (2019), Joe Burrow (2020), Trevor Lawrence (2021), Bryce Young (2023), Caleb Williams (2024), and Cam Ward (2025) have all been their respective club’s Week 1 starter after being selected at No. 1 overall.
Since Matthew Stafford was selected at No. 1 overall in 2009, only Goff, Mayfield, and Mendoza have started the season as QB2. Sam Bradford (2010), Cam Newton (2011), Andrew Luck (2012), and Jameis Winston (2015) all started the season opener.
Mayfield made it into a game by Week 3, taking over for an injured Tyrod Taylor to lead the Browns to their first victory since 2016 with a 21-17 victory over the Jets. He took over as Cleveland’s starter the following week.
It took longer for Goff to ascend to QB1 for the Rams in 2016, as he began his tenure as Los Angeles’ starter in Week 11 with a 14-10 loss to Miami.
Mendoza’s development will remain a priority for the Raiders, even as he won’t receive starters’ reps in the regular season.
“Early work, late work. More meetings,” Kubiak said on Wednesday. “Plenty of time on the field between drills with [QBs] coach [Mike] Sullivan and [offensive coordinator] coach [Andrew] Janocko. Every player that is not starting the first game, that is helping us on the look team, we’re just trying to find every edge we can find to continue to get him better and his teammates better.”
Aside from those selected at No. 1 overall, there are plenty of QBs who haven’t started early and ended up being successful.
“I think there are so many examples both ways,” Kubiak said. “I think the most important thing with the quarterback room or any other position is to build competition within the room. That makes players so much better faster than coaching, when they have a guy in front of them that they can look up to and see how something’s done — that’s going to accelerate their growth.”
We’ll see when Mendoza becomes Las Vegas’ starter. If Cousins plays well and the Raiders are winning, that might not be until 2027. But history suggests Mendoza will be on the field sooner or later as a rookie.
Browns coach Todd Monken had a big decision to make at quarterback. In settling on Deshaun Watson over Shedeur Sanders, Monken didn’t spend much time looking at Watson’s past performances.
“I really, to be honest, haven’t looked at it,” Monken told reporters regarding whether he studied Watson’s film from past seasons. “To be honest, only from afar. When people say, ‘You had to look at it,’ well, not really. I looked at it from afar when I was down the road, right? In crossover film or something, but I try to take everything at face value. What I see, right?
“It doesn’t matter what the player is, I think we owe that to our players, guys that are on the roster. I want to go into it thinking every player we have is elite, and all they have to do is prove me right. That’s all they have to do. That’s what I’m going to go into it — they’re on an NFL roster, I expect them to play well, and I just want them to prove me right. And so I really haven’t really looked at that, different staff, different system. We’ll let it play out. We’ll see where it goes starting a week from now.”
Regardless of whether Monken did or didn’t watch much Watson film, his performances from his time with the Texans are ancient history. It was six years ago. And while there’s some value in looking for plays that he has run well in the past, the more pragmatic approach would be to ignore Watson’s play from 2017 through 2020 and focus on things that will work now, with the 30-year-old version of Deshaun Watson.
When Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson played in a preseason game in Cleveland last month, he was heartily booed.
It clearly bothered him.
When head coach Todd Monken subsequently named Watson QB1 to start the season, fans found more ways to show their displeasure.
While Watson didn’t play in the Browns’ preseason finale last Thursday, he was on the sideline and spent most of his time with a towel over his head — perhaps trying to be as incognito as possible.
But does it bother Monken that Cleveland fans clearly have not wholly embraced his choice for starting quarterback?
“Absolutely not,” Monken said in his Tuesday press conference, via transcript from the team. “Would I prefer that we would all be on the same page? Yeah, but that has nothing to do with my decision, and it can never have anything to do with my decision.
“My decision has got to be about what’s best for the Browns in Week 1 and all the way through the season, and as long as I’m the head coach here.”
To that end, Monken said he has confidence Watson will be able to push the ball down the field to create explosive plays.
“You’re not going to be elite on offense and score points if you can’t create explosives,” Monken said. “It’s so hard to drive the football the length of the field without an explosive. You can look at the studies in terms of percentage of scoring a touchdown or getting a field goal with one explosive in a drive. Obviously, that comes after you’ve gotten the first first down. Every coordinator is going to say we’re chasing explosives, and everyone runs with, ‘Oh [you’re] chasing explosives.’ Well, no shit. Everyone’s chasing explosives and trying to not to turn it over. And that’s what you’re trying to do. What’s the defense trying to do? Turn you over and not allow explosives. That’s really the big chess match is that. The ways that you win.
“So, obviously having explosive players helps that. Being able to scheme it up against certain looks and then being able to execute because your protection has to hold up when you get those opportunities. I’m confident in Deshaun and our ability to push the ball down the field, otherwise we wouldn’t be starting him.”
The Browns announced the signing of defensive end Sam Williams on Tuesday and they also announced the addition of a veteran cornerback.
They have signed Noah Igbinoghene to their 53-man roster. Igbinoghene spent the preseason with the Seahawks, but was released on Sunday.
Igbinoghene played in 32 games and made 12 starts for the Commanders over the last two seasons. He had 35 tackles and a sack last year.
The Browns placed defensive tackle Kalia Davis on injured reserve and waived cornerback Michael Coats in corresponding moves. They also signed defensive tackle Sam Kamara, running back Jaleel McLaughlin, tight end Messiah Swinson, and defensive tackle Chris Williams to their practice squad.
The Browns are planning to make an addition to their defensive line.
Per multiple reports, they intend to sign defensive end Sam Williams to their active roster. Williams was released by the Cowboys on Sunday.
Williams was a 2022 second-round pick in Dallas and had 8.5 sacks over his first two seasons. A torn ACL kept him off the field in 2024, but he played in every game last season and finished the year with 37 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
The Browns were in contact with Za’Darius Smith before he signed with the Falcons, so they’ve been looking for more depth at defensive end for a while and it looks like they’ve settled on Williams as the person to provide it.
The Browns added one player through waivers after roster cuts and now there’s also an indication of the club’s corresponding move.
Cleveland claimed defensive back Toriano Pride after he was waived by the Bills.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Browns are releasing veteran edge rusher Julian Okwara.
Pride was a Bills seventh-round pick in this year’s draft, selected at No. 220 overall.
Okwara joined the Browns in April 2025. While he did not make the 53-man roster, he spent last season on Cleveland’s practice squad. He re-signed with the club in March. He’s appeared in 51 career games with five starts, registering 10.0 career sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 18 QB hits.
Sunday’s report that quarterback Dillon Gabriel would make the 53-man roster in Cleveland was incorrect, but he has not been waived by the Browns.
The Browns announced that Gabriel has been placed on injured reserve on Sunday. A back injury is cited as the reason for the move, although there was no sign of an issue when Gabriel went 12-of-15 for 186 yards and three touchdowns in the preseason finale.
Deshaun Watson will start at quarterback for the Browns in Week 1. Shedeur Sanders and rookie Taylen Green are also on the 53-man roster with Gabriel able to return after four games.
The Browns also announced tight end Joe Royer will remain on the non-football injury list. He will also have to miss at least four games.
The Browns released cornerback Myles Bryant, defensive tackle Sam Kamara, and cornerback D’Angelo Ross. They waived defensive tackles Travis Bell, Elijah Chatman, and Tyreak Sapp; running backs Davon Booth and Ahmani Marshall; offensive linemen Kinsley Eguakun and K.T. Leveston; defensive ends Logan Fano and Khordae Sydnor; wide receivers Luke Floriea, Gage Larvadain, and Kole Wilson; linebackers Edefuan Ulofoshio and Nathaniel Watson; punter Wes Pahl; and safety Zion Washington.
At least for now, the Browns are going to carry four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster.
Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, rookie Taylen Green will not be waived as part of the Browns’ roster cuts on Sunday.
It was reported earlier on Sunday that second-year QB Dillon Gabriel has also made the initial 53-man roster.
That means the Browns are set to have Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Gabriel, and Green all on the roster.
Green, a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft, is considered a developmental prospect. His reps were sparse during training camp in part due to the team’s QB competition between Watson and Sanders.
Green did not make his preseason debut until Thursday night, when he played 48 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. He finished the contest 5-of-7 passing for 27 yards, but also had 66 yards rushing on eight attempts — including a 30-yard run.
Watson is set to start Cleveland’s Week 1 matchup against Jacksonville.
