David Njoku injury update: New details emerge about Browns TE’s expected status for Sunday vs. Chiefs

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku may not play in the team’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Njoku will likely sit on Sunday due to a hamstring injury he suffered against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said if the former Miami Hurricanes star can’t play, they will go tight end by committee.

This isn’t the first injury Njoku has dealt with this year. In the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, the 28-year-old suffered a high ankle sprain and missed the next three games. Despite the injury, Njoku has put together a solid 2024 season, catching 56 passes for 439 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. In 2023, Njoku made his first Pro Bowl after recording 81 receptions for 882 yards and six TDs.

“Yeah, I had a Pro Bowl last year, but I was still kind of pissed about being there and not practicing for a Super Bowl. Everyone on this team aspires to be in that position of playing for a championship and that’s what team football is all about,” Njoku said in July, per the Browns’ official website.

Browns love seeing the growth of David Njoku

Browns general manager Andrew Berry has seen the growth in Njoku since his rookie season in 2017. “You’re talking about a guy who was a first-round pick, had a really good rookie year, got hurt, got to a point where he felt like the organization gave up on him, he got to a point where he was relegated to a lesser role, fought through it, wanted a trade, fought through it,” Berry said. “We all grow and mature and I have a personal affinity for David seeing him go through all that.”

“Over the years, there’s tight ends that you can line up out wide in the backfield, in line, and Dave’s done a little bit of everything for us over the years – not every tight end can do that,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “But any time you put a tight end outside, typically, it’s the physicality that corners are not used to. So, just the physicality of how those guys can bump the ball and get in and out of their routes and use their body are some of the things that you’ll see with big tight ends.”