Browns lose David Njoku for extended period with knee injury

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku has been placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury suffered in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Browns had a rough, rough opening act.

Cleveland lost 38-6 to the Baltimore Ravens, looking every bit the score. The Browns got lackluster efforts from almost everyone defensively, while Baker Mayfield was overwhelmed and underwhelming in the disastrous defeat.

However, more bad news rolled in Monday afternoon when ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported tight end David Njoku is going on the Injured Reserve list with a knee injury.

Schefter later tweeted an update, saying Njoku has a sprained MCL and is expected to miss the mandatory three weeks once placed on IR. Should the timeline hold, Njoku would return for Cleveland’s Week 5 tilt against the Indianapolis Colts after missing games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Football Team and Dallas Cowboys.

In Sunday’s game, Njoku was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal showing. The former Miami Hurricanes star caught three passes for 50 yards, including the Browns’ only touchdown on the day.

The 24-year-old has struggled to stay on the field lately. Last year, Njoku was limited to only four games due to wrist injury. He ended up amassing five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Without Njoku in the lineup, Cleveland will rely heavily on fellow tight end Austin Hooper. Cleveland reset the market with Hooper’s four-year deal this offseason, but didn’t utilize him much against Baltimore. Hooper was targeted twice, where he made two catches for 15 yards.