David Njoku enters offseason with Browns future uncertain

CINCINNATI — After nan Browns’ 20-18 triumph complete nan Cincinnati Bengals connected Sunday successful their play finale, tight extremity David Njoku noticed reporters waiting for him adjacent his locker.

“Oh shoot, is it my time?”

As Njoku heads into nan offseason, group to deed free agency, that’s what astir Browns fans are wondering too.

Has nan Chief slammed his past touchdown successful Cleveland?

• Myles Garrett sets nan sack grounds and nan Kevin Stefanski waiting crippled begins: Game recap (Video)
• If this was Kevin Stefanski’s past Browns game, he was a people enactment to nan extremity – Terry Pluto
• What LeBron James, Micah Parsons and Patrick Mahomes said astir Myles Garrett breaking nan single-season sack record

If he had his choice, nan reply would beryllium no. But 9 years in, Njoku knows nan realities of nan business.

“I do (want to return to Cleveland), but it’s not up to me,” Njoku said.

Does he deliberation he and nan Browns will beryllium capable to activity retired a woody successful nan offseason truthful that he tin stay?

“I don’t know,” he said.

Njoku, nan No. 29 wide prime of nan Browns successful 2017 retired of Miami, is successful nan last twelvemonth of his statement and nary evident substantive hold talks person taken place.

At nan November waste and acquisition deadline, his sanction popped up successful rumors but location was ne'er thing substantive. Nevertheless, he was relieved not to get shipped retired astatine nan time.

But nan past 2 years person been injury-plagued for nan tight end.

He played successful only 11 games successful 2024 and successful only 12 games this season. He missed Cleveland’s last 4 games pinch a knee wounded suffered connected a touchdown drawback successful Cleveland’s 31-29 nonaccomplishment to nan Titans.

Njoku ended nan twelvemonth pinch 4 touchdowns — nan second-most connected nan squad — and 293 yards connected 33 catches. That touchdown full is possibly nan biggest indictment of Cleveland’s 29th-ranked passing offense, considering he struggled to enactment connected nan field.

“It’s been a hellhole of a year,” Njoku said erstwhile asked astir nan injury. “That’s each I tin say.”

Despite sitting retired nan finale against nan Bengals, he was a beingness connected nan sideline.

He went viral connected societal media for signing a Browns fan’s tummy during pregame warmups.

After Myles Garrett group nan NFL sack grounds pinch a fourth-quarter takedown of Joe Burrow, Njoku was 1 of nan first players to shake hands him connected nan sideline, miming placing an imaginary crown connected Garrett’s caput arsenic he sat connected nan chair connected nan Browns’ sideline.

“It was awesome seeing him yet get that record,” Njoku said. “You know, we’ve been together for 9 years. Nine years is simply a agelong time. A batch happens. And he’s nan awesome one. He’s known arsenic ‘the awesome one’ now. And I’m nan 1 that’s pushing that. I don’t care.”

Throughout his years successful Cleveland, Njoku has go a instrumentality favourite acknowledgment to his larger-than-life personality, that moreover his coaches person had to get utilized to.

“He and I person a very unsocial relationship,” caput coach Kevin Stefanski said connected Friday. “He thinks I didn’t for illustration him erstwhile I first sewage here, which is not true. I conscionable told him nan truth and he didn’t for illustration that (laughs). But to watch him mature and go a leader, nan power he brings successful nan building, nan unbelievable plays that he’s made complete nan years – I ever deliberation backmost to that 4th down versus Tampa (in 2022) wherever he was banged up connected – we tried to propulsion him a surface nan play earlier he sewage tackled, twisted his leg.

“So, he’s sewage a bum limb and he goes up and makes that catch. I deliberation nan world of nan person. Obviously disappointed for this play and nan injuries, but I deliberation very highly of nan person.”

Njoku still insisted connected Sunday that nan Browns’ caput coach didn’t for illustration him erstwhile Stefanski was first hired backmost successful 2020, but acknowledged that their narration has changed arsenic Stefanski wraps up his sixth play pinch his early besides uncertain.

“Growth,” Njoku said. “Growth and maturity from some of america changed.”

What does he deliberation astir nan rumors that Stefanski whitethorn suffer his occupation aft a 5-12 decorativeness this play and 8 wins full complete nan past two?

“That’s supra my salary grade,” he said.

After nan play Njoku had, there’s bully logic for his early successful Cleveland to beryllium successful question.

Browns rookie tight extremity Harold Fannin Jr. besides excelled this season, starring nan squad pinch 72 receptions, 731 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He’s besides only 21, and was conscionable 20 erstwhile nan Browns drafted him backmost successful April — nan aforesaid property Njoku was erstwhile he was drafted.

While Njoku is simply a free agent, his statement from nan $54.75 cardinal hold he signed successful 2022 has 4 void years built successful done 2029 to let nan Browns to dispersed retired nan headdress hit.

A post-June 1 merchandise would bring a $6.935 cardinal dormant headdress hit, per Over nan Cap. He would person dormant money successful 2027 ($4.642 million) and 2028 ($2.358 million) arsenic well.

Njoku is No. 2 connected nan franchise leaderboard for profession receiving touchdowns by a tight end, and his 34 way only Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome (47) That people is besides No. 5 successful franchise history sloppy of position, and is nan champion by immoderate Cleveland Brown since nan squad returned successful 1999.

He’s No. 10 connected nan Browns’ profession receiving yards leaders database (4,062).

So if it is successful truth nan Chief’s clip and he has slammed his last touchdown successful Cleveland, he’s fixed nan Browns religious plentifulness of memories.