Getty Images David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns.
For the second time in two years, Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku has changed agents, which has also shifted his mindset about his future with the team.
Njoku has re-hired Malki Kawa of First Round Management. Njoku previously left Kawa for super-agent Drew Rosenhaus, who immediately demanded a trade from the Browns.
“After being told and promised certain things, all of which weren’t true, my boy David Njoku decided he has had enough and came home,” Kawa told Camryn Justice of WEWS.
#Browns TE David Njoku no longer represented by agent Drew Rosenhaus, returning to former agent Malki Kawa of First Round Management.
Kawa said “After being told and promised certain things, all of which weren’t true, my boy David Njoku decided he has had enough and came home.”
The trade Rosenhaus demanded never transpired, with the Browns and general manager Andrew Berry not folding and dealing Njoku for anything less than what they felt was market value.
David Njoku Open to Long-Term Deal With Cleveland
Njoku is now in the final year of his deal and Kawa appears more open to a long-term deal to keep the former first-round pick in Cleveland.
“I think David would love to be in Cleveland long-term,” Kawa told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “Obviously there’s a lot of things that go into that. … We’re going to see how the season goes, and we’ll sit with [GM] Andrew Berry, who I have a really good relationship with.
“We have great open lines of communication and we’ll be discussing things throughout the season and obviously after the season and we’ll take it from there.”
Kawa represents many ex-Miami players and UFC fighters. His NFL clients include Darius Leonard and Chandler Jones.
“That’s been my guy since Day 1,’’ Kawa said of Njoku. “And I just knew it was a matter of time before he would come back. David is a great, great kid, and he’s super excited for this season and what’s ahead of him.’’
Browns Already Invested at Tight End Position
It’s been a turbulent two years for Njoku with the Browns but things appear to be settling down. Njoku is listed as the No. 2 TE on the Browns depth chart and is coming off a year where he notched 19 catches for 213 yards and snagged a pair of touchdowns. He added five catches for 66 yards in the postseason and improved as a blocker, which made him useful beyond catching the ball in Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
Like many other Browns, Njoku struggled in Freddie Kitchen’s offense the year prior. He suffered a fractured wrist in Week 2 and was a healthy scratch down the stretch. In all, he had just five catches for 41 yards and one touchdown.
Njoku is now playing out his fifth-year option with the Browns and is being paid just over $6 million. The Browns utilize their tight ends often, but it’s unknown how much the Browns would be willing to commit to Njoku with Austin Hooper in the second year of a four-year, $42 million deal he signed last offseason. The team also has second-year tight end Harrison Bryant at their disposal. The fourth-round pick is a very capable pass-catcher and has an average salary of just over $1 million until the 2024 season, when he can become a free agent.
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Browns Pass-Catcher Makes Change After Broken Promises