The Cleveland Browns entered the 2026 season hoping to get more out of Deshaun Watson, but their opening game quickly turned into a setback. Cleveland suffered a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the defeat also came with a potentially significant injury to running back Dylan Sampson.
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Sampson hurt his left knee on his second kickoff return of the game. He initially went to the medical tent before heading to the locker room, but later returned to the sideline and tested the knee by running up and down. The Browns eventually ruled him out for the remainder of the game.
“Dylan Sampson’s left knee was in a brace, and he was on crutches,” Dr. Jesse Morse wrote on X. “He’s expected to be placed on IR and is going to miss an extended period of time. He’s the Browns’ primary receiving back; now Raheim Sanders will replace him, who caught 3 of 3 for 25 yards.”
Sampson finished the game with two kickoff returns for 64 yards, including a 37-yard return on his first attempt. There is no definitive timeline for his return yet, although ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that he is expected to miss “significant time.”
It could be frustrating times for Sampson, who has had a history with injuries. He missed Cleveland’s Week 13 game against the San Francisco 49ers in 2025 because of a calf injury. A calf strain and hand injury later kept him out of the Browns’ Week 15 and Week 16 games.
His most significant setback came during his final college season at Tennessee. Sampson injured his hamstring during the Volunteers’ regular-season finale against Vanderbilt on November 30, 2024. The injury continued to bother him heading into the College Football Playoff, and although he wanted to play against Ohio State on December 21, he was not fully healthy.
Sampson still tried to contribute but managed only two carries for six yards as Tennessee suffered a 42-17 loss at Ohio Stadium.
“In a moment like that, the opportunity we had, just to get in the playoffs, it was hard not to be able to play for my team,” Sampson said during his media session at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. “People from the outside looking in thought I wasn’t playing strong for my team. But that just wasn’t the case. If I could have gone, I would have been out there.”
Sampson eventually moved on to the NFL with the Browns, hoping to build on a quiet rookie season in which he recorded 175 rushing yards across 15 games. He entered 2026 as Cleveland’s No. 2 running back behind Quinshon Judkins, making his latest injury another problem for the Browns’ offense.
Judkins is now likely to see an even larger workload. The Browns already showed plenty of confidence in him, with running backs coach Duce Staley praising his ability to run downhill, break tackles, and pick up tough yards.
Raheim Sanders could step into the backup role, while Jaleel McLaughlin could also see more opportunities if Sampson is forced to miss an extended stretch.
For Watson, meanwhile, losing one of his team’s key offensive weapons only adds to the frustration of a difficult opening night.
Deshaun Watson gets backing despite rough opener
Watson’s numbers against Jacksonville looked respectable on paper. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
The overall performance, however, left plenty to be desired. Watson threw an interception on Cleveland’s opening drive, while his lone touchdown came with only 1:52 remaining and the game already effectively decided.
Still, Browns head coach Todd Monken defended his quarterback after the loss.
“I did not see that today. He let that ball rip; that was an interception,” Monken said. “He let it rip. He just didn’t see him, or the defender made a great play on it. I thought he started the game great… And some of the throws at the end of the game, at the end of the game, he was not tentative. He made some good throws towards the end when we gave him time, and we had opportunities to get it down the field. We never got into a rhythm.”
Watson will now have to find a way to settle into the season while the Browns deal with another setback in their backfield. For Cleveland, the priority will be getting the offense back on track while waiting to learn just how long Sampson will be unavailable.