Cleveland Browns Replace David Njoku With Veteran Tight End on One-Year Deal

The David Njoku era with the Cleveland Browns is officially over.

A few weeks ago, Njoku posted a farewell message on his social media pages, signaling the end of his time with the Browns.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Browns reached a deal with his replacement, adding veteran tight end Jack Stoll on a one-year contract.

Stoll, 28, is entering his seventh season in the NFL after being an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles following the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Browns have agreed to terms with tight end Jack Stoll on a one-year deal, per source.

Cleveland was looking for additional tight end help, gets it in the veteran Stoll.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 11, 2026

He posted four receptions for 22 yards in his rookie year. In his sophomore season, Stoll started 11 games and recorded 11 catches for 123 yards, helping the Eagles reach Super Bowl LVII, where he recorded one tackle on special teams but the Eagles lost 38–35 to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Stoll started 10 games in the 2023 season and posted five receptions for 38 yards, along with one tackle on special teams. After spending the next few seasons bouncing around practice squads with the Eagles and Miami Dolphins, Stoll landed with the New Orleans Saints for the 2025 campaign.

In Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks, Stoll scored his first career touchdown on a 13-yard pass from quarterback Spencer Rattler. He appeared in 15 games for the Saints, starting four of them, catching six passes for 46 yards and one touchdown.

What’s this signing mean for the Browns?

Harold Fannin Jr. led the Browns in receiving yards during his impressive rookie campaign in Cleveland. In his first season out of Bowling Green, Fannin caught 72 passes for 731 yards and six touchdowns. He quickly supplanted Njoku on Cleveland’s depth chart and cemented himself as the starting tight end for the Browns moving forward.

Stoll is the perfect complement. He’ll make his mark in new Browns head coach Todd Monken’s offense as a blocking tight end that could occasionally run a few routes.

The addition of Stoll to Monken’s offense will allow Fannin to remain the premier passcatching tight end while the 28-year-old out of Nebraska will focus on the blocking duties. For comparison's sake, Stoll could play a very similar role to how Monken deployed Charlie Kolar as a blocking tight end behind Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.

This addition also keeps the Browns flexible in their tight end room. Players like Blake Whiteheart and Sal Cannella showed promising flashes last season with rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Or, perhaps the Browns could use one of their nine draft picks in April to find another tight end to complement Fannin and Stoll. At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Georgia’s Oscar Delp expressed interest in reuniting with Monken, his former offensive coordinator, in Cleveland.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry hinted that the offensive side of the football would have significant roster turnover. The Browns have been busy fixing their offensive line during the first few days of free agency.

Now, they’ve replaced Njoku with an effective blocking tight end who will support that new offensive line in Cleveland.