Todd Monken got real about a talk he had to have with Browns RB Quinshon Judkins following a practice incident
Quinshon Judkins did something he shouldn’t have during a Cleveland Browns training camp practice, and it’s now been addressed by head coach Todd Monken.
The Cleveland Browns are a week into training camp ahead of the 2026 NFL season, and first-year head coach Todd Monken already faced with an early test tests as the man in charge. Monken had to address second-year running back Quinshon Judkins after a questionable hit on teammate Mike Hall Jr. during a Saturday practice session.
Judkins, the former Ohio State standout, was working through a pass-blocking rep when he delivered a blow that didn’t need to happen. Hall, the third-year defensive tackle, had just disengaged from a Browns offensive lineman and was looking down when Judkins leveled him, knocking him off his feet. Hall was down for a moment after what amounted to a cheap shot. In a game setting, the hit would have been a different story. In practice, though, it’s the kind of play that risks injuring a teammate for no reason.
Todd Monken takes measured approach to the situation
Monken confirmed Monday that he spoke with Judkins about the incident. The first-year head coach had a balanced tone, acknowledging the mistake while framing it as a learning moment.
“What happened on the practice field, and I’ve met with Quinshon about it. There is a certain amount of regret right at the moment when it happens, but we are all human, and we do make mistakes, and that’s what I always tell our team. I said, you got to fight to not get hijacked emotionally in a highly emotional game, for all of us, whether it’s in our work or emotion in our personal lives, try not to get hijacked emotionally.”
But to me, where you go from here is we are human. I said this the other day, we’re going to fall short. Are you gonna own it, and then are we gonna fix it? And that’s just a speed bump. That’s all it is. It was a mistake.”
Quinshon Judkins poised for big role in Cleveland’s offense
This is an easy situation for Judkins to put behind him. The second-year running back is expected to be a focal point of the Browns offense in 2026 after rushing for 827 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games last season before suffering a broken foot.
Monken handled the situation the way you’d want a first-year head coach to handle it. He addressed the mistake directly, kept the tone measured, and made it clear the expectation is accountability without turning it into a bigger story than it needs to be. How Judkins channels that aggression once the regular season arrives remains to be seen, but for now it’s nothing more than a speed bump in what should be a productive training camp for the Browns’ young back.
