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Njoku not gonna work here anymore

Browns release 30-year-old tight end

The Browns have released David Njoku, a not unexpected move. They've got a standout second-year option in Harold Fannin, while Njoku turns 30 this summer. But he'll have a market.

Njoku has missed 5-plus games to injury two years in a row, so it's possible his body is breaking down. It's a position that takes a lot of punishment. But it's also one where there have been plenty of success stories into their 30s, and someone will take a chance on Njoku being the next such player.

Just in the last 10 years, I see 14 different tight ends aged 30 or older who had at least one top 12 season. Twelve others with at least a top-25 campaign. Lots of those guys did it multiple times, and Njoku (who caught 81 passes in 2023) can certainly be one of them.

Table shows the best seasons (PPR) from those 30-year-old tight ends in the last decade.

OLDER TES, BEST SEASONS, 2016-2025
YearPlayerAgeTgtRecYdsTDRk
2022Travis Kelce, K.C.331521101338121
2024George Kittle, S.F.319478110683
2016Greg Olsen, Car.3112980107333
2017Delanie Walker, Ten.331117480744
2016Jimmy Graham, Sea.30956592364
2018Jared Cook, Oak.311016889665
2021Zach Ertz, 2TM311127476355
2025Dallas Goedert, Phil.308260591117
2021Rob Gronkowski, T.B.32895580267
2016Dennis Pitta, Balt.311218672928
2025Hunter Henry, N.E.31876076879
2017Jason Witten, Dall.35876356059
2017Benjamin Watson, Balt.377961522411
2016Antonio Gates, S.D.369353548712
2019Kyle Rudolph, Min.304839367614
2017Vernon Davis, Was.336943648315
2023Logan Thomas, Was.327855496416
2019Darren Fells, Hou.334834341717
2025Mark Andrews, Balt.307048422617
2022Jordan Akins, Hou.305437495518
2016Gary Barnidge, Cle.318255612219
2016Zach Miller, Chi.326447486420
2023Darren Waller, NYG317452552122
2024Austin Hooper, N.E.305945476323
2023Tyler Higbee, LAR307047495224
2017Marcedes Lewis, Jac.334824318525

The Broncos didn't get much out of Evan Engram last year; maybe they'll be interested. The Dolphins could use somebody (Njoku played his college ball in Miami), although he might prefer going to a contender. Anyway, he'll have a job.

--Andy Richardson

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