The Jacksonville Jaguars have shown they have a solid collection of pass-catching weapons around Trevor Lawrence during their team's 4-1 start in 2025, but they suffered their first noteworthy injury during a Monday Night Football win against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tight end Brenton Strange, who has come alive in 2025 after multiple years of limited backup snaps, was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Given the amount of success Lawrence had had throwing to him this year, a replacement tight end is needed in the worst way.
The Cleveland Browns might be willing to give up one of their tight ends if the Jaguars can meet their price. With rookie Harold Fannin Jr. emerging as a long-term contributor, there might be some wiggle room for the Jaguars to slide in and take Njoku away in a trade that keeps them fighting for the AFC South crown.
Related:History is on the Jag's side to make the playoffs after win vs. the Chiefs
Jaguars should call Browns about possible David Njoku trade
Njoku is in the middle of his ninth season with the Browns. A Pro Bowler in 2023, Njoku has tallied 1,387 yards and 11 touchdowns in 27 games over the last two seasons. Even at this stage of his career, Njoku has proven to be a quality receiving tight end and red zone threat.
The depth Jacksonville has at tight end behind Strange is currently lacking. Hunter Long has seven of his 15 career catches in this season alone, and former Minnesota Vikings backup Johnny Mundt is likely not going to terrify teams that are trying to stop Jacksonville's passing game.
Njoku is in the last year of a four-year contract that made him one of the highest-paid tight ends in football. The price might not be as steep as it normally would be for a player of his caliber, especially with Cleveland seemingly ready to move on with Fannin as his replacement. Moreover, Jacksonville has extra selections in multiple rounds of the 2026 draft, so it can give up a couple of picks in exchange for depth at tight end or any other position.
The Jaguars and Browns already collaborated once before to pull off the massive Travis Hunter trade, and that seems to have worked out well for both parties. Perhaps Andrew Berry and James Gladstone could work out another deal that gets Njoku to Duval County as soon as possible.