The Cleveland Browns know they need weapons heading into the offseason, as their receiving corps is absolutely barren.
That’s why the Browns are being projected by many to select a wide receiver with their top first-round draft pick, with Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson being pitched as possibilities.
The good news is that Cleveland seems set at tight end with Harold Fannin Jr., who just enjoyed a tremendous rookie campaign by hauling in 72 receptions for 731 yards and six touchdowns.
The Browns ran plenty of two tight end sets with Fannin and David Njoku in 2025, but with Njoku headed toward free agency, you have to figure his days in Cleveland are over, right?
In fact, ESPN’s Dan Graziano thinks that while Fannin’s emergence may result in Njoku looking elsewhere, he thinks that the former first-round pick will ultimately re-sign with the Browns.
“He likes it in Cleveland, and the Browns like him, so it’s possible — even likely — they find common ground on a reasonable deal,” Graziano wrote.
Of course, the Browns almost certainly won’t be signing Njoku on a deal similar to the four-year, $55 million extension they handed him back in May 2022. If anything, the 29-year-old would probably re-sign on a one-year deal, which some feel could be worth around $10 million.
Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku. Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images.
Njoku caught 33 passes for 293 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games with Cleveland this season, so his role was definitely reduced.
Just two seasons ago, Njoku snared 64 balls for 505 yards and five scores, and he is three years removed from a Pro Bowl appearance in 2023.
Taking that into consideration, it seems hard to imagine that the University of Miami product will stay, as you would assume other NFL teams would be willing to provide him with a larger role.
On top of that, Njoku may want to actually pursue more of a winning environment at this stage of his career. Surely, he is tired of constantly losing in Cleveland, and the Browns certainly don’t seem primed to legitimately contend anytime soon.
But if Njoku really likes it in Cleveland that much, perhaps he really would be amendable to returning on a short-term contract. That could then potentially set the Browns up for a midseason trade, especially if Fannin continues to ascend.
That being said, with Cleveland having such minimal cap space, using a chunk of it to retain Njoku doesn’t seem like the best use of resources.
