Browns Rumors: David Njoku Could Require Surgery on Wrist Injury

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku suffered a wrist injury Monday against the New York Jets that may require the third-year pro to undergo surgery, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com confirmed the report.

Njoku, 23, also suffered a concussion in Cleveland's 23-3 win over New York. He left the game after Jets cornerback Nate Hairston upended the ex-Miami Hurricane while leaping for a pass. The tight end immediately left after landing awkwardly on his head.

According to Anthony Lima of 92.3 The Fan, Njoku is seeking a second opinion on an injury to his right wrist/hand, which appeared to occur as the tight end tried to brace himself for the fall.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirmed Njoku's search for second opinions and said he suffered a broken wrist that may force him out "for more than a month if the initial estimates hold up." Cabot confirmed the injury.

The 6'4", 246-pound tight end appeared ready to make a big leap in year three after catching 56 passes for 639 yards and four touchdowns last season. He saw his catch rate jump from 53.3 percent in 2017 to 63.6 percent in 2018 and finished second on the team in receiving yards.

Njoku started the 2019 season well thanks to four receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown, but the Browns must fill his spot for the time being.

Backup tight end Demetrius Harris is the next man up. The ex-Kansas City Chief played 78 percent of his team's offensive snaps against the New York Jets, with most of his playing time occurring after Njoku left midway through the first quarter. The 28-year-old caught one pass for four yards versus New York.

Playing behind Travis Kelce in Kansas City for his entire career, the 6'7", 230-pound tight end has never amassed more than 18 receptions, 224 yards or three touchdowns in an individual season.

Pharaoh Brown should be Harris' backup, as he was after Njoku left Monday's game. Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal also guessed that ex-Arizona Cardinal Ricky Seals-Jones could see more playing time.

Njoku is a tough loss for a Browns team looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. As Jake Trotter of ESPN noted, "the Browns have run either '11' or '12' personnel almost 97 percent of the time this season," meaning Njoku has been on the field a lot for three-wideout or two-tight end sets.

Cleveland's next game will be Sunday at 8:15 p.m. ET against the Los Angeles Rams at home.