Why the David Njoku era may be coming to a close for Browns

At one point in time, David Njoku was a Pro Bowler and one of the top tight ends in the NFL.

He had hauled in 882 yards and six touchdowns, playing a major role in why the Cleveland Browns ended up with an 11-6 record and a birth in the playoffs for just the third time in the 2000s.

But that was 2023, now two years ago.

In the current season, Njoku's production has declined tremendously, both due to injuries and inconsistencies at the quarterback position. He currently has 33 receptions on 48 targets, good enough for 293 yards and four touchdowns. Since the start of November, he's only caught six passes for 33 yards and two touchdowns.

And in his place, filling the void at tight end, has been rookie Harold Fannin Jr.

He's the Browns' leading receiver in 2025, bringing in 66 catches for 667 yards and four touchdowns on 99 targets. Each statistical category is a team high.

Fannin Jr., who's been one of the top rookies in the league this season, is looking like the future No. 1 target on the offense. He's been able to high point the football, making an incredible, near game-saving touchdown a few weeks back against the Titans, and has a burst of speed in the open field.

Such a breakout from the rookie pushes Njoku into the shadows, especially with a knee injury holding him out over the last few weeks.

If he doesn't suit back up for the Browns this year, 2025 would be his least amount of receiving yards in a season in his career. The only two lower marks would have come back in 2019 and 2020, at clips of 41 and 213 yards respectively, but those were two seasons where he was also riddled by injuries.

The 29-year-old is set to free agent following this season. His initial deal, coming in at $54,750,000 across four seasons, due to restructuring, will weigh on the Browns' financial books through 2029. That alone makes it unlikely that the front office will look to keep him around past this year, but also, with the play of Fannin Jr., too, it just wouldn't make much sense.

He would have to take a pretty large hit if he did decide to return to the Browns, but by still being in the tail end of his prime, he deserves to get paid and serve a critical role on any NFL team's offense.

With just a few more games to go in the 2025 NFL season, Njoku will have a few more chances to get right back into rhythm.

However, he will have to get back up to speed and become healthy again before doing that.

The first opportunity to get back out onto the field will be on Sunday, Dec. 21, with a game against the Buffalo Bills. The Browns and Bills will square off from Huntington Bank Field with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m. EST.