Although there are no longer any criminal charges pending against Browns rookie wide receiver Isaiah Bond or rookie running back Quinshon Judkins, both players remain subject to NFL discipline. The same is true for veteran linebacker Devin Bush, whose simple assault/harassment charges are still pending and who has a jury trial scheduled for December 2.
Unless Bush is able to reach a deal with prosecutors well in advance of his trial date, any league discipline likely will be delayed until 2026. Since Bond and Judkins are in the clear from a criminal standpoint, the NFL could make a decision on them at any time.
However, it appears no such decision is imminent. Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, league spokesman Brian McCarthy has no update on the matter, so the status of the two rookies remains in limbo for the time being.
Judkins, a second-round pick, was drafted with the expectation that he would compete for a significant workload right away, as only Jerome Ford was penciled in above him on the depth chart. His misdemeanor domestic battery charge threw a wrench in the works, and although prosecutors decided over two weeks ago that they would not move forward with the case, Judkins remains unsigned.
In a recent appearance on PFT Live, Cabot discussed the possible reasons for the delay (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). Now that a handful of second-rounders selected after Judkins have received fully-guaranteed rookie contracts, it could be that the Browns do not want to go that route for Judkins in light of the circumstances.
Default language could also be an issue. Typically, suspensions void all remaining guarantees on a contract, and Judkins may well receive a suspension stemming from the recent domestic battery allegations. As such, he may be trying to convince the team to exclude that particular incident from the default provisions in his deal.
All of that is just speculation, as Cabot acknowledges the reason for Judkins’ unsigned status is unclear. She did say the former Ole Miss and Ohio State standout is not considering a return to college football (NCAA rules technically prevent that, but Florio believes Judkins could win a legal challenge on that front).
Bond was a legitimate Day 2 prospect whose draft stock was tanked by his sexual assault charges. After a grand jury declined to indict him, he quickly caught on with the Browns, and he offers intriguing upside in a WR room that has plenty of question marks behind Jerry Jeudy.
Still, given the issues surrounding Judkins and Bush, and in light of the backlash the team faced after acquiring quarterback Deshaun Watson several years ago, there were members of the organization who were uncomfortable with signing Bond, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. While the team’s top decision-makers clearly felt the risk was worth the reward, the fact that there was apparently some pushback is notable.