Browns Tight End Could Miss Week 8

The Cleveland Browns may be without one of their offensive stars when they face off against their division rival Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8. Tight end David Njoku expressed uncertainty on whether he'd be available for Monday Night Football, telling reporters "we'll see."

TE David Njoku says his high-ankle sprain is feeling better every day, on whether he’ll play vs. Cincy: “we’ll see…” #Browns

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) October 27, 2022

Njoku suffered a high-ankle sprain during the Browns' Week 7 23-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Typically, the injury costs players several weeks, but the tight end's must not be severe enough to guarantee his absence. 

Njoku is the second-leading receiver on a Browns offense which ranks 10th in scoring through seven weeks. Should he be unavailable for an extended period, the Browns will rely on tight ends Harrison Bryant and Pharaoh Brown to pick up the load. Neither has exceeded 240 receiving yards in a season to this point in their careers.

Njoku joined the Browns as their 29th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He contributed five up-and-down years for the team from 2017 to 2021, averaging 27.0 yards per game and 7.3 yards per target. His best season came in 2018 when he set career highs with 639 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. He earned a significant four-year, $54.75 million deal this past offseason, and he promptly rewarded the Browns with the hottest start of his young career, averaging 59.7 receiving yards per game and 10.0 yards per target. Both would be career bests for a season.

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