Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku had a monster end to his 2023 season, finishing with 28 receptions, 373 yards, and four touchdowns in his last four games, providing league-winning scoring for managers who owned him throughout the playoffs.
Njoku looked to be having a solid game, catching four passes for 44 yards with plenty of time remaining, until he exited the game around midway through the third quarter and had to be helped on his way to the locker room.
Is David Njoku hurt or healthy? Will David Njoku play in Week 2? Let's break it down.
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David Njoku Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Njoku exited the Browns game Sunday against the Cowboys and looked like he had trouble walking. He had an obvious limp and needed assistance to leave the field.
David Njoku is headed to the locker room 🙏pic.twitter.com/euhFnlxfcX
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 8, 2024
Njoku appeared to be injured on the below play. A Cowboys player wrapped up Njoku from behind and the defender's body weight seemed to fall on Njoku's right ankle. Such an injury at a high speed with that much weight twisting the ankle around can be serious.
David Njoku -
1. Isn’t this a hip drop tackle?
2. Appears that his right foot sticks in the turf as he’s pulled down, pulling it into eversion before it releases from the turf.
Concern for high ankle sprain for Njoku.Makes sense why he needed help walking into the locker room pic.twitter.com/uIGb4l48ss
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) September 8, 2024
The defender may have executed a hip-drop tackle (as stated in the above tweet) though he was not flagged on the play. Njoku was unable to continue playing after this tackle. Given that he did not return to the game, the injury is moderately concerning, and managers should check in for future updates.
David Njoku Fantasy Football Outlook
The injury looks quite ugly in a close-up. Njoku's ankle bends inward while partially pinned under the weight of the defender.
#DavidNjoku
Right ankle injury close up
Eversion sprain
Details at https://t.co/Y4ZB0tG5HV pic.twitter.com/z1oXggXhSg— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) September 8, 2024
This injury looks to be a sprain. It will be important whether it is a high-ankle or low-ankle sprain, as low-ankle sprains are typically less severe and require less recovery time. Given the effect it had on Njoku, Njoku owners should prepare to be without him for at least a few games.
#Browns TE David Njoku likely suffered a high ankle sprain in today’s loss per @RapSheet.
For reference the recovery time can be 3-6 weeks depending on severity, however they tend to linger. pic.twitter.com/CnUUbMGP64
— MoreForYouCleveland (@MoreForYou_CLE) September 9, 2024
In line with this, sources stated that Njoku likely suffered a high-ankle sprain, which takes multiple weeks to recover from, though the exact injury is not confirmed. Njoku is a good start when healthy, but he may be headed towards missing time, and managers should have a backup plan in place.
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