Tag: David Njoku

David Njoku celebrates National Tight Ends Day with a touchdown

The Browns re-took the lead against the Ravens thanks to Jameis Winston and David Njoku

After a rough end to the first half, the Cleveland Browns opened the second half with an eight-play, 70-yard touchdown drive thanks to a catch from tight end David Njoku, taking a 13-10 lead over the Ravens.

Cleveland converted two third downs on the drive, capping it off with a 23-yard pass from quarterback Jameis Winston to Njoku.


Receivers Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore also contributed on the drive with 19 and 17 yards, respectively. Winston completed all five passes on this opening drive for 66 yards and the touchdown, bringing his total to 15 completions on 21 attempts for 176 yards and a touchdown in his first start of the season.

The offensive line is having one of its stronger showings of the year, allowing Winston the time to deliver passes downfield. If the defense can continue containing Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, a few more solid drives could help the Browns pull off the upset.

5 high-profile tight ends Broncos should attempt to trade for

The Broncos could use a play-making tight end, so they should target these players ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

After seven weeks of action, the Denver Broncos‘ most productive tight end has been Lucas Krull. He has a whopping six receptions for 57 yards.

Nate Adkins (four receptions for 19 yards) is more of a blocker than a receiver, Greg Dulcich (five receptions for 28 yards) has been a healthy scratch in recent weeks and Adam Trautman (two receptions for 32 yards) hasn’t been very involved in the passing game.

The Broncos could use a playmaker at tight end, somebody who would give rookie quarterback Bo Nix a reliable option in the middle of the field. With the NFL trade deadline (Nov. 5) now two weeks away, we’ve put together a quick list of five high-profile tight ends who would make sense for Denver.

1. TE Mark Andrews, Ravens: Andrews hasn’t been as involved in Baltimore’s offense this fall as he was in previous years, perhaps in part because of the emergence of Isaiah Likely. The Ravens probably aren’t very interested in moving him, but the Broncos should make a call just in case.

2. TE David Njoku, Browns: Cleveland is 1-6 and they just lost Deshaun Watson to a torn Achilles. After the Browns shipped out receiver Amari Cooper, Denver should check in on the status of Njoku.

3. TE Evan Engram, Jaguars: Jacksonville is 2-5, but Engram remains one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets. It never hurts to ask, though.

4. TE Dawson Knox, Bills: Dalton Kincaid has emerged as Buffalo’s primary tight end, so the Broncos should make an offer for Knox.

5. TE Hunter Henry, Patriots: New England also has a rookie QB in Drake Maye and Henry is one of his favorite targets, but the Patriots are 1-6, so Denver should reach out about Henry’s trade status.

The NFL trade deadline is 2 p.m. MT (4 p.m. ET) on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

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Third QB is the charm as Jameis Winston finds David Njoku for 6

At least the Browns made it a game!

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston found tight end David Njoku late in the game to bring the team back within seven in the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Filling in for the injured Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson late in the fourth, Winston led a 12-play, 60-yard touchdown drive. This drive was capped off by an eight-yard pass to tight end David Njoku and a two-point conversion reception by Cedric Tillman.

The Browns trailed 21-14 late in the fourth with no timeouts and needed to recover an onside kick to keep the game alive. They failed to do so.

Winston completed five of 11 passes on his only drive of the game with an 18-yard completion to Jerry Jeudy and a 25-yard completion to Tillman as the biggest plays. Due to injuries to both Watson and Thompson-Robinson, Winston was allowed to enter the game as the emergency quarterback despite being inactive. Watson left the game with an Achilles injury in the first half, while Thompson-Robinson exited in the fourth quarter with a finger injury.

The offense failed to get enough going to win this game and they will have to re-evaluate the quarterback position following multiple injuries. While the return of Nick Chubb brought a glimmer of positivity, the lack of average offense production has derailed the season thus far.

Raiders TE Brock Bowers Yards After Catch numbers already on pace for elite company

Rookie tight end Brock Bowers leads all tight ends in the NFL in Yards After Catch (YAC) and is on pace for All Pro level numbers.

It’s becoming clear just what makes Brock Bowers so special as a player. And it starts with his ability to get yards after the catch.

The rookie tight end’s ability to get every extra yard imaginable and a few yards you didn’t think were possible almost defies logic and reason.

Raiders offensive coordinator set about trying to explain just how Bowers does it.

“Some guys like…he’s a natural football player,” Luke Getsy said of Bowers’ YAC abilities. “What I mean by that is he understands spacing, he understands his awareness of what’s all going on around him. I think all that’s real. So, when he catches the ball and he knows he has space, there’s no wasted movement. There’s no figuring out, there’s no bubble around him. It’s catch, drop step, get vertical, and go. So, you’re seeing him catch check downs and you’re seeing him turn them into explosives. And so all that awareness of space and the people around you is something special that not everybody has. But he has it and that on top of understanding where he’s supposed to be conceptually and the toughness prt of it. That part is probably the most important.”

The rookie 13th overall pick leads all NFL tight ends over the first six weeks of the season with 206 yards after catch. That’s tenth in the league at any position. With 384 yards receiving, that means well over half his yards have come after the catch.

His numbers put him on pace for 584 yards after the catch on the season. The list of tight ends to have better numbers than that over the past five years is short.

2022 *Travis Kelce — 648
2019 *George Kittle — 602
2023 **David Njoku — 599
2020 *Travis Kelce — 587

*All Pro season
** Pro Bowl season

This is nothing new for Bowers. Twice in his three years at Georgia he led all FCS tight ends in Yards After Catch. But it’s one thing to do it on the collegiate level, it’s another to treat NFL defenders the same way.

Broncos won’t trade for Amari Cooper, but could they target another Browns player?

After the Browns traded Amari Cooper to the Bills, the Broncos should call about David Njoku’s status.

With the NFL trade deadline (Nov. 5) now just three weeks away, Denver Broncos fans and pundits have speculated that the team could trade for a wide receiver like Amari Cooper or Tee Higgins to spark the offense.

One of those receivers is no longer available on the trade block.

The Cleveland Browns have agreed to trade Cooper to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a third-round draft pick (full trade details). The Browns now won’t have Cooper when they face the Broncos on Monday Night Football at Empower Field at Mile High in Week 13 on Dec. 2.

So Cooper won’t land in Denver and he won’t play against the Broncos this fall, but another player in Cleveland is worth monitoring.

The Browns are currently 1-5 and they might have a fire sale leading up to the trade deadline. Denver general manager George Paton should call Cleveland about the status of tight end David Njoku, a 28-year-old veteran who recently recovered from an ankle injury.

The Broncos haven’t gotten any production out of their tight ends this season and former third-round draft pick Greg Dulcich has been a healthy scratch over the last two weeks. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix could use a reliable, play-making tight end in an offense that lacks weapons.

If Denver remains in the playoff hunt leading up to the NFL’s trade deadline, making an offer for Njoku would make sense.

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Raiders, Browns Week 4 final injury report: Both teams missing several key starters

The Raiders and Browns are both literally limping into their Week 4 matchup Sunday.

Injuries are hitting both the Raiders and the Browns hard this week. The two teams are quite literally limping into their Week four matchup in Las Vegas on Sunday. With both teams set to be without key starters.

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The Raiders have four players officially ruled OUT for the game — WR Davante Adams (hamstring), TE Michael Mayer (personal), LB Divine Deablo (oblique), and CB DeCamerion Richardson (hamstring).

DE Maxx Crosby (ankle), and T Thayer Munford (ankle/knee) are officially listed as Doubtful after head coach Antonio Pierce said in his morning press conference both would be OUT for the game.

Questionable for the Raiders are RB Ameer Abdullah (back) and LB Kana’i Mauga (calf).

The Browns also have four players listed as OUT — T Jack Conklin (hamstring), TE David Njoku (ankle), RB Pierre Strong (hamstring), and T Jedrick Wills (knee).

Questionable is LB Jordan Hicks (ribs/elbow).

DE Myles Garrett missed the first practice this week, but has since practice full and was removed from the injury report.

Don’t count out one Pro Bowler making his return to the field vs. Raiders

The veteran team leader may give it a go this week

The Cleveland Browns may soon get some offensive reinforcements from one of their premier pass catchers in the form of tight end David Njoku.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that while Njoku won’t practice to begin the week he may be available for the game against the Raiders.

This is a significant update in Njoku’s recovery and he continues to progress from an ankle injury that forced him to miss each of the last two games. This comes as good news as the Browns continue to see a rash of injuries hit the roster.

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In Njoku’s absence the Browns have relied on Jordan Atkins as a replacement and currently has 12 targets for eight catches and 66 yards through three games.

Njoku originally hurt his ankle in the season opener loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He recorded four receptions for 44 yards in just 28 snaps before he exited the game from the injury. With how he ended last season and the emphasis to get him the ball early, it’s clear that the Browns were relying on him to make an impact.

His return is eagerly awaited by the team and fans alike.

Browns likely to be without Pro Bowler again vs. Giants

The Browns are expecting to be without their Pro Bowl tight end again this week.

After suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku is still sidelined and expected to miss their Week 3 matchup against the New York Giants.

The Pro Bowl tight end, however, was not placed on Injured Reserve which means the Browns expect him back earlier than Week 5. While high ankle sprains are no joke, Njoku played through severe burns to his hands and face last year and will likely tough it out earlier than the expected 4-to-6-week window.

In the meantime, the Browns will continue to turn to veteran tight end Jordan Akins while compensating for Njoku’s blocking ability with heavy personnel. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Browns routinely trotted out seven offensive linemen with Nick Harris and Zak Zinter joining the party.

In Njoku’s absence thus far, Akins has racked up 37 yards on four catches as the TE1. The Browns are throwing the ball a ton this season, so expect Akins to be involved against the Giants.

Browns rule star TE out vs. Jaguars

Browns rule star TE out vs. Jaguars

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.

Browns Pro Bowler feared to have a high ankle sprain

The Pro Bowl tight end could be out for weeks…

Adding insult to injury in their humiliating loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns may now be without their Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku.

According to WEWS’ Camryn Justice, Njoku left Huntington Bank Field on Sunday in a walking boot following the team’s 33-17 loss to the Cowboys.

Njoku was injured early in the third quarter on a 29-yard completion from quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Browns went on to finish the drive and cut the lead to 27-10 after Njoku’s catch but he was unable to return to the game.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported after the game that Njoku is feared to have suffered a high-ankle sprain and he’ll have tests on Monday to confirm the diagnosis. High-ankle sprains typically range from four to eight weeks in recovery, while other lower-ankle sprains would only force him to miss a game or two with a possibility that he could be good to go for next week against the Jaguars.

Njoku has been an integral part of the offense over the last few years because of his tremendous ability after the catch. The Browns will hope for good news Monday on their star tight end.