For the sake of Browns fans’ sanity, we can overlook, for the moment at least, the fact that Deshaun Watson is set to rake in $46 million of his $230 million deal this year, whether he steps on the field or not. While this might be far and away the greatest blunder in professional sports spending history, the Cleveland Browns have another player on their roster set to a hefty payday this season who is almost certainly incapable of earning it.
The 2025 season will be the ninth year veteran tight end David Njoku has spent as a Cleveland Brown, but some data-driven skeptics are predicting that it could be his last.
David Njoku Continues to Be Overpaid on His Current Browns Contract
If one thing has been consistent for Njoku since coming into the league, it's not his on-field production; it's his concerning habit of getting injured, usually precisely when his team needs him the most. Although he is still under 30 years of age, Njoku has already missed 20 games for the Browns; a trend that can only be expected to increase as he accumulates more wear and tear on his already battered body.
Last season, Njoku only scored five touchdowns, a humbling stat that places him far behind leaders at his position like Mark Andrews, who had eleven as well as Sam LaPorta and George Kittle, who each had eight trips apiece to the endzone.
Don’t expect these numbers to go up for Njoku anytime soon. Faced with the second-most-challenging schedule in the league, the Browns are going to be hard-pressed to make anything happen through the air. Chances are that they are going to have to grind it out in the run game with their two rookie running backs if they want to put any points on the board. If this happens, Njoku’s role will be drastically limited to that of an overpaid blocker.
Even if one of the Browns’ four quarterbacks does manage to throw the ball to a tight end this season, there’s a good chance it won't be to Njoku. The Browns didn’t spend a third-round pick on Harold Fannin Jr. just for him to ride the bench. This rookie tight end is going to be expected to produce right out of the gate this year, taking targets away from Njoku and maybe even his spot on the depth chart.
So what kind of payday can a frequently injured, statistically declining, redundant tight end rake in these days? In David Njoku’s case, a pretty substantial one. This season, he’s coming to the end of a four-year contract with a total value of over $54.7 million; a staggering sum which, in hindsight, could have been used better elsewhere to shore up glaring gaps in the Browns’ roster.
This season alone, Njoku is going to make over $13.6 million, which is far more than LaPorta’s $2.3 million and is more comparable to Mike Andrews’ $14 million despite the fact that the longtime Brown is on track to prove far less valuable than them on the field.
Njoku is also getting an additional $58,823 bonus for each game he plays, which adds an extra million to the bill the Browns are footing. There are other incentives in his cushy contract, too. If he defies all expectations and earns himself an All-Pro selection, he gets an extra quarter million dollars. What’s more, if the Browns as a team weasel their way into a playoff berth with his help or not, Njoku will get $500,000 richer just for going along for the ride.
Thankfully, the Browns will be able to cut ties with Njoku after this year, paving the way for younger, cheaper talent to thrive at the tight end position. This year, though, there’s no getting around the fact that David Njoku is going to stack a boatload of dough for what is likely to be very minimal results.