The Cleveland Browns traveled to London, as they will face off against the Minnesota Vikings at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday morning.
They are looking to get the bad taste out of their mouths after they lost 34-10 to the Detroit Lions. After that game, they decided they wanted to make Dillon Gabriel the starting quarterback, but that performance likely put a nail in the coffin for Jerome Ford's long-term career with the Browns.
Jerome Ford’s Slow Start Continued in Week 4
In the loss to Detroit, Ford played in 18 total snaps, finishing with one carry for -1 rushing yards. He also grabbed one pass for four receiving yards. According to PFF, Ford had a season-worst 43.7 overall grade. Through four outings, the Cincinnati product has two games with sub-50 overall grades. The 26-year-old has only registered 38 rushing yards, 34 receiving yards, and zero touchdowns.
He entered the season as the starter, but Quinshon Jenkins has quickly taken that job by the horns. In three games, Jenkins has a team-high 237 rushing yards, two rushing scores, and 4.8 yards per rush. He currently owns a 72.5 overall grade (14th among 55 graded RBs). The Browns used a second-round pick on him, and he's immediately paying dividends.
The Browns also gave rookie RB Dylan Sampson nine snaps in Week 4 and could be another playmaker that eats into Ford's reps.
Considering that Ford is going into the last year of his rookie deal, he would need to significantly turn things around. At this point, there are three full years of tape on Ford, and if the Browns felt confident in his skill set to be the lead back, they would have never added two running backs in the NFL draft.
With his back against the wall, Ford isn't answering the bell. His snap count has decreased in each week, indicating how his role is diminishing within the offense. That's not the trend any player wants, especially one who is looking to land a new deal following the season.
The Browns will likely keep him around as nice depth, but the odds of him sticking around beyond the 2025 season are slim to none. Week 4's outing was the latest example of why that may be the decision, and it looks like that would be the right choice.