CLEVELAND — After weeks of negotiating with his representatives, the Cleveland Browns have agreed to a 4-year contract extension with tight end David Njoku.
The team placed a franchise tag on Njoku back in March, and were protected from him hitting the unrestricted free-agency market, but the team had been working to reach a long-term deal.
“I love it here,” he said in January. “I love it here to the core. I honestly want to be here for the rest of my career … It’s our dream to bring a championship here in Cleveland.”
On Wednesday, he signed the contract that will keep him in Cleveland through 2025.
“We are pleased to secure David Njoku’s presence in Cleveland with this extension,” Browns VP of Football Ops and GM Andrew Berry said in a news release. “David’s multi-faceted skill set in both the run and pass game is a key component of our offensive system. His ability to generate explosive plays with his athleticism, speed and run-after-catch ability along with his productivity as a blocker on the line of scrimmage is a difficult combination to find in a single player. We’ve seen David grow throughout his time here and are excited to see his best football over the next several seasons.”
Njoku's deal is worth $56.75 million, with $28 million of that guaranteed, locking up the tight end and placing him among the five highest-paid tight ends in the league.
Last season, Njoku led the team in receiving touchdowns with four, also notching 475 yards on 36 receptions.
When asked last season if he wanted to remain with the Browns long-term, Njoku had a simple answer: "Of course."
"I've been here four years, knocking on five, I don't really know anything different, so I'd like to stay here," Njoku said.
Now, with the deal agreed to, Njoku will get his wish and begin a new offensive journey with quarterback Deshaun Watson through 2025.
“There is no question that we have unfinished business,” he said. “These are exciting times. It’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears that was put into these last few years. I owe it all to God. We just have to keep working. I’m just going to go back to the drawing board, figure out what I have to perfect and what I have to do right or what I can do better and get back to work.”
Camryn Justice is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @camijustice.
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