From the Practice Squad to Sunday: How Audric Estimé and Tre Tyus Found Their Roles

Five days after joining Cleveland, Audric Estimé scored the touchdown that tied Sunday's game against Baltimore. In Philadelphia, Anthony Tyus III came up from Carolina's practice squad and contributed on a punt that gave the Panthers possession inside Eagles territory.

The two running backs reached those moments through different kinds of preparation. Cleveland needed Estimé to learn enough of a new offense to play immediately. Carolina could draw on Tyus's longer experience in its system, using him on special teams while its established backs handled the carries. Their public accounts and roster histories show the work behind those assignments.

A new playbook in Cleveland

Cleveland signed Estimé from Minnesota's practice squad on October 13, the same day it placed running back Raheim Sanders on injured reserve with a hip injury. Estimé, a fifth-round Denver draft pick in 2024, arrived with 122 NFL carries, 508 rushing yards and three touchdowns across 20 games with the Broncos and Saints.

Minnesota had added him to its practice squad on September 30. Less than two weeks later, Cleveland offered an active-roster job in a backfield already missing Dylan Sampson, who was on injured reserve. Quinshon Judkins also missed Sunday's game with an ankle injury. The Browns paired Estimé with Jaleel McLaughlin, another back who had joined their active roster from a practice squad earlier in the season. The team documented those absences and additions after the game.

Estimé had faced regular-season defenses before, but he had only a few days to learn Cleveland's calls and work with his new teammates. Asked afterward how he got up to speed, he described taking the preparation one day at a time from Wednesday through Saturday. Running backs coach Duce Staley spent extra hours meeting with him, with teammates and other coaches also helping him adjust.

“It was a long week, learning the playbook,” Estimé said in the Browns' postgame player availability. He said coaches had told him they expected him to reach the end zone when Cleveland got close. On the touchdown run, he recalled bouncing the run and following a pulling blocker, whom he believed was fullback Michael Burton.

The touchdown was the finish

The Browns were trailing 10–3 in the fourth quarter when Carson Schwesinger knocked the ball away from Derrick Henry and Tyson Campbell recovered at Baltimore's 35-yard line. Cleveland covered that short field in seven plays, with Estimé scoring from two yards out with 8:33 remaining. Andre Szmyt's extra point tied the game at 10.

Estimé finished with 19 yards on nine carries, while McLaughlin gained 41 on nine attempts. Cleveland won 13–10 on Szmyt's 37-yard field goal as time expired, after a later drive that included Deshaun Watson's 33-yard completion to Jerry Jeudy. The Browns' game account records the scoring sequence, and the official gamebook supplies the final statistics.

Asked about both backs afterward, coach Todd Monken praised McLaughlin's running before discussing how much Cleveland had required from Estimé. “The guy just showed up this week,” he said in his postgame press conference.

Monken also said Judkins had tried to get back for the game and expressed hope that both Judkins and Sampson could return the following week. Estimé had filled an immediate need in a running-back room whose available personnel could change again.

Tyus had already been learning Carolina

Tyus, who goes by Tre, spent last season on Carolina's practice squad and led the Panthers in preseason rushing this year with 127 yards on 31 carries. His first regular-season opportunity came against Cleveland on September 27 after Jonathon Brooks went on injured reserve.

Before that game, offensive coordinator Brad Idzik described Tyus's growing understanding of Carolina's schemes. Scout-team work had shown coaches his physical traits, while training camp and preseason gave them a chance to see how he applied the offense in live situations, including finishing runs.

“He started to hit the whys,” Idzik said in Darin Gantt's September 27 account for Panthers.com. Tyus called the chance “just an opportunity” and spoke about helping the team after Brooks' injury. His family in Michigan was trying to arrange travel to see his debut.

Carolina waived him October 6 to create a roster spot. He cleared waivers the following day and returned to the practice squad October 8. The Panthers noted that he had handled kickoffs and special-teams duties during the preceding two games while they waited for injured players to return.

With Trevor Etienne back and AJ Dillon inactive Sunday, Carolina used a standard elevation for Tyus. That made him available against Philadelphia without signing him back to the 53-man roster. The standard elevation provision allows a one-week move to the active/inactive list followed by a return to the practice squad without waivers.

A contribution without a carry

Tyus had no rushing attempt or reception against Philadelphia, but coach Dave Canales credited him with disrupting a late punt. With 8:30 remaining, the Eagles faced fourth-and-18 at their 40. Braden Mann's kick went out of bounds at the Philadelphia 48, an eight-yard punt in the official gamebook. Canales described the play as a block afterward, although the official statistics list no Eagles punt as blocked.

Carolina took over with 8:24 left and scored four plays later, helped by a 15-yard Philadelphia penalty. Tommy Tremble's 19-yard touchdown reception at 6:33 put the Panthers ahead 25–14, which became the final score.

Source notes

Estimé's and Monken's comments are from the Browns' October 18 public postgame transcripts. Idzik's and Tyus's September 27 comments were published by Panthers.com.