Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku has formally requested a trade. But head coach Kevin Stefanski is remaining steadfastly optimistic about his tight end's future prospects in Cleveland. On Thursday, Stefanski indicated that he's happy to welcome Njoku back into the locker room and is “excited to work with him.”
“My stance hasn’t changed,’' Stefanski told Cleveland.com. “The organization’s stance hasn’t changed in that we believe in David, excited to work with him. I’ll get to finally be in the same room as him this weekend as he is coming in for physicals and then get out on the field with him Monday.”
David Njoku formally requested a trade on July 3, after Cleveland had already picked up the 2021 option on his rookie contract. The 24-year old played in only four games in 2019 due to a broken wrist.
“It is in David’s best interest to find a new team at this time,” his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said at the time.
Cleveland signed free agent tight end Austin Hooper and drafted tight end Harrison Bryant in the fourth round. However, Stefanski's comments imply that the team does not plan to adhere to Njoku's trade request.
After spending the week undergoing Covid-19 tests, Browns players will begin an acclimation period on Monday which will enable smaller and shorter group workouts until full-team practices can ramp up on Aug. 14.
Stefanski was hired to replace Freddie Kitchens after Cleveland failed to live up to the preseason hype, winning just six games in 2019. The first-time head coach will aim to get a better season out of third-year starting quarterback Baker Mayfield. Having a healthy—and invested—Njoku on the field will certainly help with that.
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