CLEVELAND — It appears 'The Chief' will be member of the Cleveland Browns for many years to come.
On Friday afternoon, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network and NFL.com were the first to report that the Browns have agreed in principal on a four-year contract extension for tight end David Njoku worth $56.75 million.
The contract will pay Njoku $28 million in guaranteed money at signing. The deal, averaging $14.1875 million per year, would make the 25-year-old Njoku the fifth-highest paid tight end in the league. Per SportTrac, George Kittle of the 49ers ($15 million), Travis Kelce of the Chiefs ($14.31 million), Dallas Goedert of the Eagles ($14.25 million) and Mark Andrews of the Ravens ($14 million) are the four NFL tight ends earning more per year than Njoku.
In March of this year, the Browns put the franchise tag on Njoku, giving him a one-year tender valued at an average of the top five salaries of his position. According to OverTheCap.com, the tight end franchise tag was valued at $10.8 million at the time.
Njoku is entering his sixth season with the Browns after being selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has caught 148 passes for 1,754 yards and 15 touchdowns during his time in Cleveland, with 36 catches for 475 yards and a team-high four touchdowns in 2021.
3News' Ben Axelrod contributed to this report
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