Despite coming up short in their Week 1 performance, the Cleveland Browns could look to trade running back Jerome Ford. According to Max Dible of Heavy Sports, he believes since Dylan Sampson stepped into a prominent role alongside Ford and outperformed, it means the Browns could be willing to move on and trade Ford. While it’s still early to start talking about trades here, it’s still a possibility if Sampson continues to get more looks over Ford while they’re getting ready to give Quinshon Judkins a chance to win the backup job.
Not only that, but Sampson had a few flashes as a pass-catching contributor, so if there is competition here, this could give him the upper hand in this situation. Originally selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, Ford is entering the final year of his current rookie deal, so it’s easy to understand why the Browns could trade him to recoup some draft capital while he’s still healthy and has a lot of untapped potential that a team hasn’t seen yet. However, it’s hard to decide that on one game, so they should closely monitor the situation in each matchup as the season progresses.
Yes, they want to allow Jenkins to salvage this running back room, but that won’t happen anytime soon. For the sake of this article, it will hypothetically explore possible landing spots for Ford.
Could Browns Trade Former Fifth-Round Pick Jerome Ford? 3 Potential Destinations
Possible Fits
New Orleans Saints
After failing to get anything out of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Cam Akers this preseason, they decided it was time to cut ties and stick to Kendre Miller as Alvin Kamara’s backup. However, they must get at least a veteran presence in their backfield unit. Ford is far from that, but he’s like a bullet that can fight for the red zone and is a chain-mover, so he could be a promising option to help Kamara rest on some moments throughout the matchup.
Between Kamara and Ford, the Saints should have one of the best running back units in the league, other than the new duo of both Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby in Philadelphia. The Saints aren’t contenders, but it should give Ford a clear path to get extra snaps.
Kansas City Chiefs
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs could be in the market for a running back if they don’t see much from Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. With them and Elijah Mitchell set to become free agents, they could trade for Ford to see who is serious about becoming the permanent starter for this running back unit. It’s anyone’s job up for grabs as Ford could easily find his role in this offensive pass offense.
Los Angeles Chargers
However, the Los Angeles Chargers have two old-school running backs in 2025 draft pick Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris. While Hassan Haskins is still developing, why not get someone like Ford to complete the three-way package? The Chargers have the cap space to pull off this trade, and this would put Justin Herbert in the best spot possible with a significant bullet run game.
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