Browns TE David Njoku Ruled Out with Ankle Injury
Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku has been ruled out of the game against the Baltimore Ravens. There wasn't a play where Njoku went down and had to be attended to by trainers on the field. The talented tight end quietly was taken to the locker room by team personnel to be evaluated.
Njoku was the Browns leading receiver, catching seven passes on seven targets for 71 yards including an explosive play for 22. Along with Amari Cooper, he has been a critical element to their passing offense, but he's also a good blocker in the running game.
The Browns running game has had a difficult time getting going and the loss of Njoku will not help. They are already missing guard Wyatt Teller with a calf injury suffered last week.
With Njoku out, the Browns will turn to Harrison Bryant a s fellow tight end Pharaoh Brown is also in the locker room being evaluated. If they utilize another tight end, the next man up will be Michael Dunn, a guard who has been utilized as a tight end in jumbo packages.
The concern for Njoku isn't just this game. If he's out for a significant amount of time, the Browns offense will be hampered significantly. With the 71 yards today, Njoku has 418 on the season and was on pace for a career high. Cooper has been great, but they will need bigger contributions from other options including Donovan Peoples-Jones.
Njoku was the biggest mismatch the Browns could look to in the passing game on a weekly basis.
Update: While there is no update as to the diagnosis of the injury, Njoku was seen in the locker room on crutches and his left foot was in a walking boot.
