Browns designate David Njoku to return from injured reserve

The Cleveland Browns have designated tight end David Njoku to return from injured reserve and he is expected to return to practice on Wednesday.

The club now has 21 days to activate Njoku to the roster or he will have to return to the injured reserve list for the rest of the 2019 season.

Njoku was injured in the Week 2 victory over the New York Jets after he went up for a pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield, was flipped and landed on his head after a hit in the first quarter. In addition to breaking his wrist, that hit landed Njoku in the league’s concussion protocol.

He originally opted to not have surgery for the wrist injury, but revealed on Wednesday he ultimately changed his mind, which went a long way toward saving his season.

The borderline cheap shot by Jets cornerback Nate Hairston left Njoku thankful that he was not seriously injured, as he told The Beacon Journal’s Nate Ulrich in October:

“It was a cheap shot. You know? But it is what it is. It’s football. It comes with it. I thank God that I’m alive. It could’ve been a lot worse. So, yeah, I’m just happy to be here and just working. I’m happy to be alive.”

If the Browns like what they see from Njoku in practice this week, he could be activated for Sunday’s home game against the Miami Dolphins. That might be rushing it a bit given that he hasn’t played in almost two months, however.

In his absence, the Browns have made do at tight end with a combination of Ricky Seals-Jones (nine receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns), Demetrius Harris (10 receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns), Pharaoh Brown (two receptions for 27 yards) and Stephen Carlson (one reception for eight yards and a touchdown).

A first-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, Njoku has 92 catches for 1,062 yards and nine touchdowns, including four receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown this season before his injury.