Tight end David Njoku is set to leave the Cleveland Browns and test free agency after nine seasons with the team. Njoku announced Monday on Instagram that it was time for him to find a new home.
“Cleveland, first off I love you,” he wrote. “These 9 years have been a beautiful journey. I'm so grateful for all the memories we shared together. Thank you to The Haslams, Andrew Berry and the whole Browns organization for everything!! All my teammates I shared the battle with I'm so grateful for you guys. The time for me to find a new home has come and all I can think of is just the gratefulness in my heart. The city of Cleveland will forever be home❤️ #ChiefOut.”
Selected 29th overall in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Njoku has played in 118 games, starting 88, and has totaled 384 receptions for 4,062 yards and 34 touchdowns. When healthy, Njoku has shown his elite athleticism, most notably during his lone Pro Bowl season in 2023. Despite the Browns starting five different quarterbacks that year, he posted career highs with 81 catches, 882 yards, and six touchdowns.
Njoku signed a four-year, $56.75 million extension with Cleveland in the spring of 2022 and followed it with his standout 2023 season. However, his production declined in subsequent seasons as injuries limited him to a combined 11 missed games. In 2025, Njoku finished with 33 receptions for 293 yards and four touchdowns, while rookie Harold Fannin Jr. emerged as the Browns’ top target, leading the team with 72 catches, 731 yards, and six scores.
With Njoku now entering free agency, the tight end market is expected to be competitive, especially if Kyle Pitts chooses to test the open market rather than re-sign with the Atlanta Falcons. Pitts’ potential departure could create a vacancy for a top-tier tight end, and Njoku’s career included both highs and lows under former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who guided him during his Pro Bowl season but also oversaw his disappointing 2025 campaign. Stefanski has said of Njoku, “He and I have a very unique relationship. He thinks I didn't like him when I first got here, which is not true.”
Where Njoku will ultimately land remains to be seen, but the message from the veteran tight end is clear: his time in Cleveland has come to an end.
