The Cleveland Browns need all hands on deck for the Week 8 game against the New England Patriots, but one of their most important pairs of hands, tight end David Njoku, is uncertain to play.
Njoku missed the Week 7 contest due to a knee injury and is once again on the injury report this week and is questionable to play.
The veteran tight end did show some progress in his recovery this week, as Njoku turned in three limited practice after not taking part at all the week prior.
Here's what we know about his status for Sunday.
Is David Njoku playing today?
There is still no concrete answer to this question, although there is hope for Njoku to play.
That hope comes from the fact that he was able to turn in the aforementioned three limited practices after sitting out all of last week. We've seen Njoku play with only limited practices before, so that adds to the optimism.
Keep an eye out for the list of inactives on Sunday morning, which will drop an hour and a half before the Browns' 1 p.m. ET kickoff with the Patriots.
David Njoku start or sit advice
It has been a rough season for Njoku, who has only found pay dirt once and hasn't totaled more than 67 yards in a game all season. Entering Week 8, Njoku ranks as TE21, which would typically leave him off the starting radar.
That isn't all Njoku's fault, though, as the Browns have gotten terrible quarterback play from Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel.
However, with injuries around the NFL, and with six teams on a bye, the door is at least slightly ajar for Njoku to crack lineups, especially given the fact that the Pats are tied for the 11th-most fantasy points per game given up to tight ends.
Adding to that, Njoku's best game of the season (six catches for 67 yards and one touchdown in Week 5) came with the rookie Gabriel under center.
We certainly don't feel great about Njoku, but given the circumstances, fantasy owners can justify starting him this week.
Verdict: Start
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