The Cleveland Browns have had a lot of changes to the roster this offseason. Deshaun Watson’s time with the Browns appears to be over after re-tearing his Achilles tendon and watching Cleveland add four quarterbacks this offseason. The backfield also saw some change with the pending status of Nick Chubb and the arrival of Quinshon Judkins.
But while some players that have lost their starting jobs are obvious, there are some that can be less clear – even to the player that is losing their job. In the case of one Browns playmaker, his job appears to be secure but an addition in the draft has him skating on thin ice and next season could be the year where he falls through the cracks.
Browns Draft Pick Could Take David Njoku’s Job Next Season
David Njoku has been a fixture with the Browns since he was selected with the 29th overall pick in the NFL Draft. An athletic freak, Njoku has been a solid if not spectacular player at the tight end position, catching 351 passes for 3,769 yards and 30 touchdowns over his eight seasons. His production has also seen an uptick under head coach Kevin Stefanski and he caught 81 passes for 882 yards and six touchdowns during a Pro Bowl season in 2023.
The Browns knew this and gave Njoku a four-year, $54.75 million contract extension in 2022 and he was in line to ask for another deal at the beginning of the offseason. But Njoku enters the final year of his contract this year and things got complicated with the addition of Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr.
Fannin was selected in the third round (67th overall) by Cleveland in last week’s draft and his potential is massive. He set single-season records with 117 catches and 1,555 receiving yards for Bowling Green last year and had enough left over to score 10 touchdowns in 13 games. A converted safety, Fannin is still learning the position and has some things to learn entering his rookie season. But it’s hard not to see this pick and wonder what the Browns long-term plan for Njoku is.
Cleveland had a chance to get out of Njoku’s contract this offseason but would have incurred $20.87 million in dead cap space if they released him before June 1. The contract gives the Browns $4.5 million in cap space if they release Njoku after that date but it’s unlikely they would be willing to do so considering Fannin won’t turn 21 until July.
Still, the writing appears to be on the wall. If Fannin grasps the tight end position quickly, Njoku will be put under a microscope. If the Browns stumble out of the gate, Njoku could be a candidate to be moved at the deadline and could be a lock to be playing somewhere else in 2026.
It’s a situation worth monitoring as Fannin heads into his rookie year and one that could cost Njoku his job – even if he doesn’t know it yet.