Getty Images David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns.
David Njoku has not attended the Cleveland Browns voluntary Organized Team Activities as his representatives work towards a new long-term deal with the team.
The Browns franchise-tagged Njoku this offseason, keeping him on board for $10.931 million. However, the sides are close on a long-term deal that would pay him more than $13 million per year, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The holdup on getting it done has been guaranteed money, but the sides are close. Here’s what Cabot had to say about a possible deal:
Njoku’s camp and the Browns have agreed to a yearly average worth between $13 million and $14 million, which would make him the fifth-highest paid tight end in the NFL behind San Francisco’s George Kittle, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce, Philadelphia’s Dallas Goedert and Baltimore’s Mark Andrews.
But the guaranteed money in the deal is the issue. If the two sides can close that gap, they can get the deal done as soon as this week.
The deadline for franchise players to be extended is July 15, so the sides have a little time to work. However, the Browns would love to have Njoku in the building for OTAs, so he’s able to work with new quarterback Deshaun Watson. Njoku did attend the Bahamas retreat with the team earlier in the month.
The Browns have other OTA practices scheduled for May 31-June 2 and June 6-9.
Browns Have Praised David Njoku’s Growth
That’s a heck of a deal for Njoku, who has always shown massive athletic potential since being selected in the first round of the 2017 draft but has yet to put up elite tight end numbers.
Last season Njoku played out his fifth-year option with the Browns, finishing with the third-most receiving yards among Browns players, with 475 yards on 36 receptions — a solid 13.2 average.
In five years he’s racked up 1,754 yards on 148 catches with 15 touchdowns. While his prowess as a receiver has never been questioned, Njoku’s improvement as a blocker helped him earn the trust of the coaching staff, particularly head coach Kevin Stefanski, who calls the offensive plays.
“David is a guy over the course of the last couple of seasons who has shown great growth as a player and as a person,” Stefanski told reporters on January 8. “The way he is playing on the field and the things that we are asking him to do, I think he is doing a really nice job. I think the tape speaks for itself. He has grown as a professional. He is still a young man so he is continuing to grow as a person, as well.”
David Njoku Confessed Love for Cleveland Last Season
Njoku demanded a trade prior to the 2020 season, which general manager Andrew Berry swiftly rejected. But since that moment, Njoku has turned things around, buying into the culture in Cleveland and wanting to be a difference-maker.
“Looking back and reflecting, obviously, we left a lot on the field, and I want to take personal blame for some of that,” Njoku said after last year’s disappointing 8-9 season. “I feel like I could have done more. We all feel like we could’ve done more. We have to just turn to the next chapter and get back to work.”
Njoku teased on social media earlier this week that it was his “turn” after Jadeveon Clowney returned to the team, an initial hint that an extension was in the works.