Professional football is a dog-eat-dog business. If a player fails to deliver for their team, there are plenty of others behind them on the depth chart waiting to take their spot. Cleveland Browns veteran tight end David Njoku might be about to learn this lesson the hard way.
Njoku has had a complicated career in his eight seasons with the Browns. On one hand, he’s shown spurts of greatness and proven to be a valuable asset for a team beset by plenty of personnel problems elsewhere. During the 2023 season, Njoku tallied a career-best 81 receptions for 882 yards and earned himself a trip to the Pro Bowl.
Unfortunately for Njoku, NFL fans and front offices both have short memories. When considering Njoku’s future with their team, one thing the Browns will remember is his long injury history, which includes last season when he was only able to suit up for 11 games. This struggle to stay healthy can only be expected to increase as Njoku continues to put more wear and tear on his body.
This season, Njoku is entering the final year of his current contract, meaning the Browns have to decide whether or not they see a future with him. Based on their pick of tight end Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round of this year’s draft, it would seem that the Browns are open to moving on. If Fannin Jr. continues to impress as he has done so far in OTAs and mandatory minicamp, the Browns might look to ship out Njoku sooner rather than later.
Trading away Njoku would make a lot of sense from a dollars standpoint too. It's no secret that the Browns are mired in a cap space quagmire thanks to the exorbitant contracts of Myles Garrett and Deshaun Watson. While offloading Njoku wouldn’t totally make up for this spending spree, it would certainly make a dent in it.
Browns Must Consider Moving on From David Njoku Due to Cost
This season, Njoku’s cap hit is expected to be $11.436 million, but if they manage to trade him before the season starts, they can make that number much more manageable, according to overthecap.com. $6.9 million would be transformed into dead money, meaning that the Browns would save around $4.5 million instantly. That kind of dough is in high demand elsewhere on the Browns’ roster for an upcoming season where wins will be hard to come by.
The question is, which team could take Njoku off the Browns’ hands? Based on PFF grades for tight ends, the Los Angeles Chargers are the team with the greatest need. Will Dissly is a skilled pass blocker, but if they want the position to put points on the board, Njoku might be their answer.
Another landing spot for Njoku could be in Chicago. Their current TE1, Cole Kmet, clearly wasn’t doing enough for them, so the Bears drafted his presumed replacement, Colston Loveland, in this year’s draft. If Loveland doesn’t shake out or if the team just wants some experienced depth at the position, Njoku could find a new home in the Windy City.
Njoku could still manage to keep his job with the Browns, though, especially if he can replicate his 2023 success, that is, of course, if the Browns don’t trade him first. The Browns’ TE1 spot is officially up for grabs and it will just be a matter of time before either Njoku or Fannin Jr. comes out on top. As the team that traded away Baker Mayfield, don’t put it past the Browns to cut ties quickly with Njoku if they think it's in their best interest.