The Cleveland Browns walked away from last year’s draft looking like a team that had quietly pulled off something impressive. But draft success has a side effect: when young talent comes, familiar faces often start packing their bags. That shift is already underway in Cleveland. Devin Bush has moved on after signing with the Chicago Bears, and longtime Browns tight end David Njoku is still sitting on the open market.
Injuries Are Clouding David Njoku’s Free Agency
For a player with a Pro Bowl appearance and nine seasons of experience, the delay might seem puzzling at first glance. But once you start following the threads, the explanation becomes clearer and a little complicated.
If NFL free agency were a party, the first few hours would be the loud, crowded moment when the most sought-after guests are surrounded by attention. Contracts get signed quickly. Phones buzz nonstop. Agents grin like people who know their client is about to get paid.
Njoku, this offseason, is more like the talented guest who arrived with a great reputation but also a recent history that has people hesitating before extending an invitation.
The biggest concern surrounding the veteran tight end is simple and unavoidable: injuries. Over his final two seasons with Cleveland, Njoku missed 11 games, most recently due to a knee issue. Durability questions tend to make front offices cautious.
Njoku’s Previous Seasons
The missed time also coincided with a noticeable dip in production. In 2025, Njoku finished with 293 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns with a 71.5 score on PFSN’s NFL TE Impact Metrics. The year before that, he totaled 505 yards and 5 scores. Those numbers are not disastrous, particularly for a tight end in a balanced offense, but they look modest when compared to his 2023 campaign.
That season felt like the version of Njoku that Cleveland had always imagined when it drafted him in the first round in 2017. He caught 81 passes on 123 targets, piled up 882 yards, and found the end zone 6 times.
Nevertheless, during his best three-year stretch with the Browns, Njoku averaged 11.3 yards per catch. Over the past two seasons, that number dropped to 8.2. The downfield element of his game, once a quiet strength, also faded. Between 2021 and 2023, he hauled in 22 passes that traveled at least 15 yards in the air. Across the 2024 and 2025 seasons combined, he had 5.
And yet, despite the concerns, it would be a mistake to think Njoku has nothing left to offer. At his best, he has always been a fascinating offensive chess piece. Cleveland frequently leaned into multi-tight end formations, and Njoku thrived as a physical inline presence who could still stretch the field.
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His size, speed, and ability after the catch allowed him to create mismatches, especially against linebackers who simply couldn’t keep up. What likely will change is the price. Njoku made about $13.7 million annually on his previous deal, but his next contract will almost certainly come at a discount.
For contenders looking to add a veteran pass catcher without breaking the bank, that reality could make him a very appealing late-market option.
