The Cleveland Browns are no longer in playoff contention.
That means there’s no point in risking further injury.
Of course, they won’t just wave the white flag and cave in, but they could and should be more cautious with some of their veterans.
With that in mind, it’s unsurprising that they might be without star tight end David Njoku on Sunday.
Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey stated that if Njoku doesn’t play, he will adopt a tight end by committee approach.
#Browns David Njoku (hamstring) is likely to sit on Sunday vs. the #Chiefs … OC Ken Dorsey says if he can't play, they'll go tight end by committee: https://t.co/MXqGnB1kek
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) December 12, 2024
Njoku skipped Wednesday’s practice with a hamstring injury, putting his availability for Sunday’s home game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs in jeopardy.
Hamstring injuries, just like all soft-tissue ailments, are very tricky and tend to linger.
The Browns don’t want this to be a long-term issue with one of their veteran stars, so it sounds as if they are going to err on the side of caution with this injury.
Njoku has struggled with injuries this season, failing to build from his career-best campaign last year.
Even so, when healthy, he is the team’s second-best pass-catcher behind only Jerry Jeudy, and his chemistry with Jameis Winston is more than evident.
The Browns would love to play spoiler, and they will continue to compete and play hard until the final buzzer.
But if that means putting a player’s health at risk, that doesn’t make much sense.
Njoku will continue to be a pillar of the team, and they’re thinking about the long run here.
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