The Cleveland Browns on Monday placed the franchise tag on Njoku, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source. The team has since announced the news.
The move guarantees Njoku a projected $10.834 million for the 2022 season, per Over The Cap, but might just be a placeholder for a multi-year deal. The Browns and Njoku’s agent have been in long-term negotiations on an extension, Rapoport added.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on NFL NOW that the Browns have had a offer on the table for Njoku that pays in the $13 million per year range, which would be top-five TE money. Teams have until the July 15 deadline to sign franchise-tagged players to long-term deals.