Two longtime Cleveland Browns pillars, tight end David Njoku and guard Joel Bitonio, have spent far more time as unrestricted free agents than fans and NFL experts alike expected this offseason.
According to an early-morning report from insider Ian Rapoport on Monday, Njoku’s wait is finally over. And the details of his new one-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, from a Browns perspective, only make what has already been a head-scratching situation even odder.
Per Rapoport, Njoku is heading West on a deal that could pay him up to $8 million for the 2026 season. Coming off an injury-shortened 2025, his final of nine years in Cleveland, and now about to turn 30, it seems like a strong deal on paper for Njoku's camp.
The words “up to” mean everything in this situation, though. The guaranteed money in Njoku’s Chargers contract will tell fans the real story of why a beloved starter at a sneaky position of need wasn’t made a priority this offseason.
David Njoku’s contract details with the Chargers make his departure from Cleveland even odder
There's something off regarding Njoku’s exit timeline from Cleveland. He was rumored to be on the trade block last November, and while it’s possible that injury concerns hurt his value, the team’s decision to keep him on the roster made a short-term extension feel like the obvious next move.
Cleveland had some leverage in the form of star rookie Harold Fannin Jr., and given its current youth movement during a transition to Todd Monken’s first year as head coach, it was fair for the team to seek a hometown discount on Njoku’s $15 million cash salary in 2025. It even made sense to let him hit free agency for the first time in his career — a luxury he deserved — to gain intel on his market.
His market was obviously cool enough that he waited until after the draft to sign a deal, when his salary won’t count against teams’ 2027 compensatory pick formula. So why wouldn’t the Browns bring back one of their top veteran leaders on offense for essentially half the price of his 2025 salary?
Monken’s offense in Baltimore thrived when both Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely were healthy. Running it back with a Fannin-Njoku tandem at tight end would have made a lot of sense. The two players complement one another well.
Cleveland’s decision to pass on Njoku in free agency is even more surprising when you consider their current projected depth chart for 2026. Behind Fannin, the team has a veteran in Jack Stoll who feels like a fringe 53-man-roster player, at best, and a rookie in Joe Royer, who was the 15th tight end taken in April’s draft.
Browns fans will miss Njoku’s fun-loving and infectious personality and, probably most of all, his toughness on game days. He feels like the exact kind of vibe Monken should be looking for, and even for an aging vet, his reported deal with the Chargers would have made perfect sense for Cleveland.
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