During the Browns' week 14 thriller with the Tennessee Titans, we saw David Njoku go down with a knee injury that kept him sidelined through Sunday's game in Chicago. Just as we got to see more of Njoku on a phenomenal touchdown grab, he goes down. Typical Browns luck.
Evaluating Njoku so far, it's been a down year for one of the league's best RAC (run after catch) tight ends. In 12 games, he has hauled in 33 receptions for 293 yards with four touchdowns on 48 targets, per Pro Football Reference.
With the rise of Harold Fannin Jr., and Njoku's contract set to expire after this year — what are the Browns' plans for their veteran tight end beyond 2025?
The Browns’ usage of David Njoku explains why his future feels so uncertain
For those of you that love Njoku (because who doesn't?) and worry that with the organization selecting Fannin Jr., Njoku's time in Cleveland is a wrap, I can assure you the book is not closed on a return. Per Sumer Sports, the Browns lead the league in rate of plays called in 12 personnel, at 42.57 percent, emphasizing the importance of packages with two tight ends on the field.
The question for me, however, is: Are the Browns currently using Njoku to the best of his abilities?
Njoku and Fannin may share the same position title of tight end, but their roles are vastly different. Njoku serves as the inline tight end (on the line of scrimmage), where his responsibilities revolve around blocking. Fannin serves as, essentially, a big slot wide receiver. According to Pro Football Focus, the inline rates for Njoku and Fannin are at 57.7 and 38.3 percent, respectively; whereas, their snap rate lined up in the slot stand at 28.7 and 44.4 percent.
Njoku is a solid and developed blocker, but where he really shines is when he has the ball in his hands. In his current role, his target share has gone down. In 2024 he had 97 targets through 11 games before injury and, in 2023, he had 85 targets through 12 games. That's the polar opposite to his mere 48 targets this year.
Now, some of this can be attributed to poor offensive play, but it is notable that Fannin is putting up numbers similar to that of Njoku in previous years, enduring the same struggles of the 2025 Cleveland Browns offense.
Why the Browns’ quiet David Njoku decision is more complicated than it looks
The second conundrum with Njoku revolves around what the Browns could have gotten for him at this year's trade deadline. Not moving a 29-year-old star tight end in what was already a lost season would surely indicate a contract extension, right? Well, the Browns could still receive a compensatory pick if he departs in 2026 free agency, and they don't sign a player of equal value and lose more qualifying free agents than they sign. With so many young players leading the offense, and a crumbling culture, the front office decided Njoku's locker room impact was too strong this year and opted for the long game.
Which brings us to the third leg of this situation: financial restrictions and cap space. Do the Browns have enough cap space to re-sign Njoku? While the Browns have been in financial peril for the past couple of years, things are looking up. With so many young contributing key pieces, Cleveland has cheap multi-year control on the basis of rookie contracts — especially at the financially demanding quarterback position with Shedeur Sanders looking promising.
Deshaun Watson will be on the last year of his deal next year, plus some void years. Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio are other rather large contracts that are set to expire in 2025. Pair that with a cap space guru in general manager Andrew Berry, my verdict would be that the Browns could still re-sign Njoku. Think about it. When was the last time this front office let anyone of immense value truly walk without getting anything of value in return?
My verdict: With the proven importance of two tight end packages, paired with the strong cultural and team ties Njoku presents, I believe Berry, being the financial guru he is, will bring Njoku back on a contract extension prior to the 2026 league year.