Browns’ David Njoku Explains Decision to Share Photos After Suffering Facial Burns

On the field this season, Browns tight end David Njoku has provided his usual contributions to Cleveland's offense. In four games, the seventh-year Miami product has caught 16 passes for 138 yards.

However, the biggest difference Njoku has made in 2023 may have come in the form of an Instagram post. On Thursday, he shared pictures of facial burns he suffered, reportedly while lighting a fire pit in his backyard on Sept. 29.

A day later, he outlined his reasoning for posting his burn wounds.

“I’ve been getting a lot of messages from other burn victims and nurses that have burn victims, and they were telling me how everybody feels embarrassed to show whatever,” Njoku told reporters. “So I wanted just to come out forth and show myself so everyone feels a little bit better about themselves. End of the day, things heal.”

Remarkably, Njoku played two days after suffering the burns. Wearing a mask, he caught six passes for 46 yards in the Browns’ 28–3 loss to the Ravens on Oct. 1.

“He was adamant that he was going to make it,” Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski said after that game. “That’s a scary, scary thing that happened to him. So, number one, very happy that he’s okay, and that he gutted through it.”