Browns TE David Njoku arrives to stadium in full mask after suffering facial burns
Cleveland Browns (2-1) tight end David Njoku arrived to Cleveland Browns Stadium Sunday wearing a full face mask after suffering facial burns in a household accident the day prior.
Njoku sustained burn injuries to his face and arm when he was lighting a firepit in his backyard. The Browns listed Njoku as questionable on the injury report heading into the Week 4 home tilt against the Baltimore Ravens (2-1).
Njoku has suited up in all three games for Cleveland this season, catching multiple passes in each contest. For the year, he’s hauled in 10 receptions for 92 yards. Njoku is in his seventh season in Cleveland. He was a first-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Miami.
Over the course of his career, the tight end has played in 82 games for the Browns and is responsible for 2,474 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. He eclipsed the 600-yard mark for just the second time in his career in 2022, totaling 628 yards and four touchdowns on 58 catches.
While Njoku will be active, quarterback Deshaun Watson will not. Watson, limited in practice this week with a shoulder injury, was ruled out Sunday. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Cleveland’s fifth-round selection in April’s NFL Draft out of UCLA, will get the first start of his career.
Watson injured his throwing shoulder in the 27-3 Week 3 victory over the Tennessee Titans (1-2) this past Sunday. Despite the injury, Watson put together his best game as a Browns quarterback, completing 27-of-33 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns.
Through three games this season, Watson has totaled 678 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He has completed 63.7% of his passes and also has a rushing touchdown.
David Njoku looking to produce with new QB
Cleveland elevated quarterback P.J. Walker from the practice squad and he will serve as the emergency quarterback for the Browns. On the flip side, the Ravens have been preparing for the Browns all the same regardless of who is at quarterback.
“We’ll be prepared. But everything coming out of there is that Deshaun is going to play,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “And we’re preparing for the Browns. It’s the schemes they run [on] all three phases. It’s not so much about any one player, ever.”