The final unsigned rookie from the 2025 NFL Draft class is officially a Cleveland Brown. Running back Quinshon Judkins has signed his four-year rookie contract on the eve of the Browns’ first game of the season, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
The signing follows a protracted contract standoff stemming from Judkins’ off-field legal issues this summer. While the charges from a domestic battery arrest in July have been dropped, the NFL is still actively pursuing its private investigation into the matter to determine an appropriate length of suspension.
The deal for the 36th overall pick is fully guaranteed and is allotted $11.3 million, according to contract figures from Spotrac. The guaranteed nature of the contract was a central sticking point in negotiations, as Judkins’ side and the team worked to finalize a deal that would account for any potential league discipline.
In conjunction with the contract agreement, the Browns have been granted a two-week roster exemption for Judkins, a detail brought to light by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
An NFL roster exemption allows a team to place a player on a special status that does not count against the active 53-man roster limit. There are two main types of exemptions: the Commissioner’s Exempt List for unusual off-field circumstances like legal issues, and a temporary Roster Exempt status for players who fail to report to training camp or don’t sign their tenders.
The exemption granted to the Browns is the former, allowing them to keep Judkins on the roster without having to make a corresponding move to cut another player. With the contract dispute now settled, the ball is firmly in the court of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as to when Judkins will be able to suit up and make his professional debut.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns sign rookie RB Quinshon Judkins to fully-guaranteed deal
Reporting by Lane Dobbins, Browns Wire / Browns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
