David Njoku finds himself in an interesting position. The Browns hit the former first-round pick with the franchise tag, despite the veteran tight end’s history of inconsistent production. Njoku now has an offer to consider, but he is also set to play with a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback this season.

This year’s tight end franchise tag came in at $10.9MM, but the Browns’ offer is believed to be beyond $13MM annually, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (ESPN+ link). Considering Njoku’s production history, landing top-five money at his position would be quite the coup. But the guarantee structure is not yet known.

[RELATED: Browns Confident They Will Extend Njoku]

The Browns have been discussing a deal with Njoku’s camp for months, and the five-year veteran said last year he wanted to reach a long-term agreement to stay in Cleveland. This would be a turnaround development for Njoku, who sought a trade at multiple points in 2020. He compiled just 213 receiving yards and two touchdowns that year, when the Browns gave Austin Hooper a $10.5MM-per-year deal. Hooper is now out of the picture, having been cut in March.

Four tight ends — George Kittle, Travis Kelce, Dallas Goedert and Mark Andrews — earn more than $14MM per year. No one else at this position is signed to a contract worth $13MM-plus. Njoku, who has one season with more than 500 receiving yards (2018), would not seem to have a case to join that top tier. But it is clear the Browns value the 2017 first-round pick, who caught 36 passes for 475 yards and four touchdowns last season. He joined Mike Gesicki and Dalton Schultz in receiving the tag, and GM Andrew Berry was with the team when it selected Njoku out of Miami five years ago.

Njoku, 25, has a chance to post career-best numbers with Deshaun Watson at the controls. That said, it is unknown how much of this season Watson will play. That stands to affect Njoku, who would go into a critical year should he opt to play on the tag to push for a bigger payday. The Browns have just one other pass catcher (Amari Cooper) signed to a notable veteran contract and hold the NFL’s most cap space, at more than $27MM. Cleveland has until July 15 to extend Njoku.

The Browns are motivated to keep David Njoku in Cleveland. Mary Kat Cabot of Cleveland.com writes that the organization “definitely” wants to retain their tight end.

Specifically, the front office is “prepared to pay him the double-digit millions” that he’d presumably command on the open market. The team has also had consistent talks with Njoku’s representatives over the past few months. The report seems to hint that Njoku will listen to other suitors, but the Browns will be waiting with a sizable offer.

This news comes as a bit of a surprise after the organization inked Austin Hooper to a hefty four-year, $44MM deal in 2020. Njoku subsequently requested a trade, but his camp rescinded that request a few months later, and the tight end has remained in Cleveland. Things have clearly gotten better between the two sides; before this past season, Njoku made it clear that he wants to stay with the organization.

“I’ve been here (Cleveland) for four years going on five,” Njoku said in August. “I don’t know anything different. I want to keep being here.”

While Njoku will presumably command a hefty pay day when he hits free agency, the former first-round pick hasn’t put up huge numbers during his time in Cleveland. He topped out in 2018 with 639 receiving yards and four touchdowns. After a pair of underwhelming, injury-riddle seasons in 2019 and 2020, the 25-year-old somewhat bounced back in 2021, finishing with 36 receptions for 475 yards and four scores.

It sounds like David Njoku wants to stick with the Browns after all. Despite his previous trade demands (and flip-flops on the matter), the tight end says he wants to move forward with Cleveland

“I’ve been here (Cleveland) for four years going on five,” Njoku said on Friday. “I don’t know anything different. I want to keep being here.”

Njoku pushed for a trade last summer and doubled down prior to the 2020 trade deadline. He also made it sound like he wanted out as recently as February. However, it seems like Njoku is now in a good place with the Browns.

The Browns signed Austin Hooper to a big contract last year and drafted Harrison Bryant, which reduced Njoku’s role in the offense. He finished out 2020 with just 19 catches for 213 yards and one touchdown. That was a far cry from his best work in 2018 — 56 grabs for 639 yards and four TDs. In between, he lost most of 2019 to injury.

While he’s shown plenty of flashes of potential, the U of M product has yet to live up to his first-round status. But, despite all the drama and the crowded TE chart, the Browns still opted to exercise his fifth-year option. For now, he’s got one year and ~$6MM to go on his deal.

There’s been a lot of drama with David Njoku and the Browns over the past year. The young tight end requested a trade last July, then rescinded that request in August. In October, he once again changed his mind and asked to be traded around the deadline.

No trade materialized, with Cleveland reportedly not wanting to deal him. Just when it seemed like everything had calmed down, Njoku fanned the flames once again in February by responding very cryptically to an interviewer asking about his future with the team.

However, it seems like things have now been patched over. The Browns have “weathered the storm” and Njoku is now “in a good place with the franchise,” a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Cleveland signed Austin Hooper to a big contract and drafted Harrison Bryant, which reduced Njoku’s role and made him unhappy. The Browns drafted the Miami product 29th overall back in 2017. While he’s shown plenty of flashes of potential, he hasn’t lived up to first-round status.

In 2018 he appeared on the verge of breaking out, racking up 639 yards and four touchdowns. Injuries then limited him to only four games in 2019, and he caught only 19 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite all the drama, Njoku is slated to make a little over $6MM this season after Cleveland picked up his fifth-year option last year. It’ll be the final year of his rookie deal. Njoku was drafted very young so he’s still only 24, and has all the theoretical potential in the world. 2021 is shaping up to be a make or break year for him.