Browns could be without tight end David Njoku in the coming weeks

David Njoku was on his way to a career year, but now he could be sidelined in the coming weeks due to an ankle injury he suffered on Sunday. 

The Ravens had no answer for Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku on Sunday afternoon, as he caught all seven passes thrown his way for 71 yards. Unfortunately for Njoku and the Browns, he left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury and Cleveland wound up losing 23-20.

He left the stadium in a walking boot and on crutches, according to Mary Kay Cabot, of Cleveland.com. He will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury and that will give him and the Browns a more clear picture of how long Njoku might need to sit out.

With the bye week coming up in Week 9, don’t expect Njoku to be in the Cleveland lineup when they host the Cincinnati Bengals on Halloween Night. That would give him two weeks of rest, possibly three full weeks depending on his status after the bye.

In the offseason, the Browns locked up Njoku and rewarded him for his hard work and dedication with a four-year, $56.75 million extension. Some scoffed at this extension, thinking Nhoku wasn’t worth all of that money. When you factor in how far along he has come as a blocker while also thinking of the improvements he has made catching the ball, then you realize he actually is worth it. Also, add in the fact that Cleveland also traded for Deshaun Watson and that’s even more reason to love the extension.

Through seven games, Njoku has caught 34-of-42 targets for 418 yards and a touchdown. He was on pace for 82 catches and 1,105 yards. This is a crucial blow to a Cleveland offense that has been one of the most efficient in the league this year. The sixth-year tight end is tied for the team lead in receptions with Amari Cooper and is four yards behind Cooper for most receiving yards on the team. Coming into the season, some had anticipated that he would essentially be WR 2 or 3 when the games played out, and he was doing just that.

The Browns finished the game with just Harrison Bryant as their lone tight end as Pharaoh Brown suffered a potential concussion. Bryant did well in his added duties, but this will surely be something to monitor throughout the week and see what Andrew Berry elects to do.

Hopefully, The Chief can get back on the field as soon as possible to help try and salvage something, anything from this season.