The Cleveland Browns have finally made a decision on whether or not they will keep tight end David Njoku, who was eligible for a franchise tag.

On Monday, Ian Rapaport of NFL Media reported that Njoku became the first tight end to get tagged in 2022.

While the Browns struggled in 2021, Njoku did not. The tight end found the end zone four times on 36 receptions and 475 yards. It was one of his best seasons since 2018, when Njoku tallied 56 catches for 639 yards.

In five seasons with Cleveland, he has racked up 148 receptions for 1,754 yards and 15 touchdowns. His athleticism and pass-catching ability making him a dangerous threat in the passing game.

Njoku had asked for a trade during the summer of 2020, which also coincided with him switching agents. The tight end ended up rescinding the request at the start of training camp that same year and seems committed to staying in Cleveland for the long haul.

Article Continues Below

“I love it here. I love it here to the core,” Njoku said in August, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I honestly want to be here for the rest of my career, so my agent and the Browns are still in talks, we're still negotiating, figuring out what we can do, and we'll go from there.”

Now that he is tagged, Njoku will make $10.8 million, which is completely guaranteed. The Browns tight end made $6.01 million last season after the team exercised his fifth-year option. This move buys the Browns some time if they wish to sign Njoku to a long-term deal before the July 15 deadline.

The Browns went 8-9 last season as they struggled offensively due to Baker Mayfield's injury issues. Trading away Odell Beckham Jr. didn't help the team out either.

Now that Njoku has received the franchise tag, more names are likely to come out across the league. The deadline for teams to designate franchise players is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.