The Cleveland Browns have elected to use the franchise tag designation on tight end David Njoku, per reports. The move beats Tuesday’s deadline to tag any pending free agents and will lock up Njoku in Cleveland for the 2022 campaign.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network broke the initial report of the tagging.
The franchise tag commits $10.8 million in fully guaranteed salary to Njoku in 2022 once he signs the tag. The Browns and Njoku can still work out a long-term contract that would supersede the franchise tag, but this allows the team to buy some time without worrying about another NFL competitor signing Njoku as a free agent.
Njoku, 25, caught 36 passes for 475 yards and four TDs in 2021, his fifth season with the Browns. He was a first-round pick out of Miami back in the 2017 NFL draft.
