Change rarely arrives quietly in Cleveland. That said, David Njoku’s departure still lands with emotional weight. After nine seasons in orange and brown, the veteran tight end has announced he will test free agency. That closes the book on one of the franchise’s longest-tenured offensive chapters. Once viewed as a foundational mismatch weapon and locker-room pillar, Njoku now exits amid a sweeping roster reset, a coaching change, and a philosophical pivot toward youth.
Yet around the league, his availability is being viewed as an opportunity. Even in a reduced role last season, Njoku’s blend of size, athleticism, and red-zone reliability continues to intrigue contenders seeking tight end versatility. Several franchises stand out as natural fits for a veteran looking to reassert his value.
Defense and transition
© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Browns’ 2025 campaign unfolded as a year of profound transition. It was defined by defensive excellence but undermined by offensive instability. The team stumbled to a 5-12 record and a last-place finish in the AFC North despite fielding one of the league’s most dominant defenses. Myles Garrett delivered a historic 23-sack season. Meanwhile, rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger emerged as a foundational building block. Offensively, however, inconsistency reigned. Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders flashed promise but endured predictable growing pains. The unit struggled to sustain scoring drives.
Within that turbulence came a symbolic shift at tight end. Rookie Harold Fannin Jr gradually became the focal point of the passing attack. He ultimately led the team in receiving. His emergence coincided with a broader youth movement that reshaped the offensive hierarchy. The franchise’s decision to part ways with head coach Kevin Stefanski after the season only reinforced the sense of organizational reset. In that evolving blueprint, Njoku became expendable.
Njoku’s shrinking role
Njoku’s ninth and final season in Cleveland reflected both physical adversity and declining usage. He appeared in 12 games and posted 33 receptions for 293 yards. That’s his lowest production since 2020. Still, his value in high-leverage areas remained evident. Njoku secured four touchdowns and continued to function as a dependable red-zone option.
A lingering knee injury ultimately shortened his campaign, sidelining him for the final four games. By season’s end, the positional transition was complete. With Fannin entrenched as TE1 and the offense recalibrating around younger personnel, Njoku publicly declared his intention to seek a ‘new home’ in free agency. That ends a tenure that saw him climb to second in franchise history among tight ends in both receptions and touchdowns.
Contract dynamics
Njoku’s exit is also shaped by complex financial mechanics. His four-year, $54.75 million extension signed in 2022 is set to void on March 12. That makes him an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. Due to prior restructures designed to ease earlier cap burdens, Cleveland now faces a sizable $24.3 million dead-cap charge tied to his departure. The Browns are expected to deploy a post-June 1 designation to split that hit across two seasons. That should ease the immediate financial strain while formally transitioning to their younger tight end core. For Njoku, the contract expiration offers the chance to choose his next situation based on fit, opportunity, and contention timeline.
Here are his top potential destinations.
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta presents one of the smoothest schematic transitions available. With Kyle Pitts entering free agency following an uneven rookie-contract window, the Falcons face uncertainty at tight end. The arrival of head coach Kevin Stefanski only deepens the connection. Stefanski knows Njoku’s skill set intimately from their shared tenure in Cleveland. That’s where the tight end thrived within heavy ’12 personnel’ deployments.
Stefanski’s offense relies on dual-tight-end formations to stress defenses through play-action and layered route concepts. Njoku already understands the blocking assignments and timing expectations embedded in the system. That familiarity could translate into immediate usage rather than an extended acclimation period. For Njoku, Atlanta offers both comfort and volume.
Green Bay Packers
Green Bay’s interest would stem from necessity as much as design. The Packers’ tight end depth chart was decimated in 2025. Tucker Kraft suffered a torn ACL and John FitzPatrick went down with an Achilles injury. That attrition leaves Jordan Love entering 2026 without a proven intermediate safety valve.
Njoku’s arrival would stabilize that void. His run-blocking ability aligns cleanly with Matt LaFleur’s wide-zone framework. Meanwhile, his seam-route presence would enhance Green Bay’s play-action attack. In the red zone, his contested-catch prowess would address finishing issues that plagued the offense late last season. Even once Kraft returns, Njoku could function as a complementary in-line option. That would preserve two-tight-end multiplicity within the scheme.
Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City’s appeal lies in both contention and succession planning. Travis Kelce remains productive but enters his age-36 season. That prompts the franchise to manage his workload more deliberately (if he returns). The Chiefs also lacked consistent secondary weapons in 2025. That would allow defenses to concentrate coverage on primary targets.
Njoku would give Patrick Mahomes another athletic middle-field weapon while enabling heavier two-tight-end packages. Kelce could shift into more slot alignments, while Njoku handles in-line duties and vertical seams. The pairing would preserve offensive explosiveness while quietly laying groundwork for the post-Kelce era. For Njoku, the draw is immediate relevance within a perennial Super Bowl ecosystem.
Tennessee Titans
Tennessee represents a different but equally compelling pathway. Under head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, the Titans are building around quarterback Cam Ward. Young quarterbacks often lean heavily on tight ends as security blankets in progression reads and play-action concepts.
With Chigoziem Okonkwo also entering free agency, Tennessee risks entering 2026 without a stabilizing veteran presence at the position. Njoku would project as a traditional ‘Y’ tight end within this offense, balancing blocking duties with chain-moving routes over the middle. His catch radius would offer Ward a forgiving target window, particularly in high-pressure downs.
Contender value
Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Njoku’s Cleveland chapter may be closing, but his league value remains intact. He still offers a rare physical profile and the versatility to function across multiple offensive systems. Atlanta offers familiarity and volume. Green Bay offers opportunity born from injury. Kansas City offers championship proximity. Tennessee offers developmental partnership with a rising quarterback.
For a veteran seeking both relevance and resurgence, the next destination is less about reinvention and more about rediscovery.
