The Browns have ruled star tight end David Njoku out against the Jaguars in Week 2, Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters Wednesday.
Njoku is reportedly feared to have suffered a high-ankle sprain in Cleveland’s 33-17 loss to Dallas in Week 1, at the end of a 29-yard reception during the contest’s third quarter. He finished the game with four receptions for 44 yards.
“He’s out this week,” Stefanski said. “Beyond this week, I don’t really have — we’ll have to see how it goes.”
A first-round NFL draft selection by Cleveland in 2017, Njoku has ascended into the NFL’s upper echelon of receiving tight ends in recent seasons, hauling in 179 receptions over his last 47 games.
Njoku set single-season career bests with 81 catches for 882 yards and six touchdowns in 2023, over a career-high 16 starts. He is up to 291 receptions for 3,308 yards and 25 touchdowns through seven seasons and one game in the NFL.
Njoku logged six receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns when Cleveland faced Jacksonville in Week 14 of last season, in Cleveland.
Njoku’s anticipated absence will leave the Browns without their top pass-catcher from a year ago when they face the Jaguars in Jacksonville this Sunday, one week following Cleveland’s dismal offensive showing against Dallas, when quarterback Deshaun Watson averaged 3.8 yards per passing attempt and tossed two interceptions to the Cowboys.