Kevin Stefanski hints at bringing in TE help amidst David Njoku injury update
By Ryan Heckman
In the Cleveland Browns' loss to the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, starting tight end David Njoku suffered an ankle injury which is now starting to get a little bit worrisome.
Monday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told the media that Njoku would be considered "week to week" right now, but would not confirm whether it was a high ankle sprain, only noting that it was an ankle injury.
Per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal, Stefanski hinted at possibly bringing in some tight end help. With veteran Jordan Akins being the only other tight end on the current 53-man roster, that appears to be set to change in the near future, as the Browns work through options at the position.
“Yeah, working through all those type of things today and tomorrow. But we have options and we’ll work through them," Stefanski said.
If the Browns brought up some depth from the practice squad, they have two tight ends there currently, with Cameron Latu and Blake Whiteheart. Of the two, Latu is the most intriguing after he was selected in the third round out of Alabama in the 2023 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, but has yet to play an NFL snap.
The Browns may not be the only team in need of tight end help
Oddly enough, the Browns' opponent on Sunday also saw their starting tight end suffer an injury. Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson came away from the game with a knee sprain. Dallas has a bit more depth than Cleveland, though, and shouldn't need to worry as much.
Still, the Browns will need to make a move here soon before they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2.
Maybe the Browns' best available option via free agency is veteran C.J. Uzomah, who is familiar with the AFC North after playing several seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. If it isn't Uzomah, then the Browns will probably be depending on Akins to carry the majority of the load for the foreseeable future.
Whether or not Njoku will miss multiple games remains to be seen, though. With Stefanski giving somewhat murky updates, Monday, we aren't quite sure what to make of the Njokue injury situation at the moment.
Njoku may very well be undergoing additional tests to check on the severity and get a better idea of his timetable going forward. Until then, it's Akins who will be the team's starting tight end.