David Njoku injury update: Latest on Browns TE for Week 16 Fantasy Football

Tight end David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns suffered an injury at home before the team's win over the Chicago Bears in Week 15, but he still had a strong performance.

The seventh-year veteran caught a career-high 10 catches on 14 targets for 104 yards.

“He’s a great leader for our football team," said coach Kevin Stefanski about Njoku.

Famous for warming up shirtless in all conditions, be it rain, precipitation, snow, even severe frigid temperatures, Njoku is renowned as one of the toughest athletes in the league, so it's not much of a surprise to see him play despite an injury to his toe.

David Njoku has the classification "NIR - Rest" on Wednesday's initial injury report from Cleveland. With "NIR" standing for "not injury related," it means there's no need to be alarmed about his DNP status.

Considering that rest was indicated as the explanation for his absence from practice, the 27-year-old tight end is expected to rejoin his colleagues for practice on Thursday or Friday.

He should be able to play without limitations on Sunday against the Houston Texans, barring any injury setbacks.

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What happened to David Njoku?

Following his stellar performance against the Chicago Bears in Week 15, tight end David Njoku joined the CW's "Inside the NFL" program. There, he said that he needed stitches for a toe injury sustained before Sunday's game.

Three days before the Week 15 match, the 29th overall choice in the 2017 NFL draft said that he had hurt his pinky toe at home. Despite the intense pain, he didn't immediately give the injury much thought. The former Miami tight end later saw blood leaking on the ground, indicating that his injury was more severe than he initially deemed it to be.

The Browns training staff informed the tight end during team practice the day following the accident that stitches would be required to seal the wound. To be ready to play against the Bears on Sunday, he had the procedure done the same day.

Njoku played without limitations but appeared on the Browns' injury report on Wednesday. It's believed that the toe injury is no longer a problem for the TE and that he was only allowed to rest on the first day of practice.

Njoku has accumulated the most receptions (69), second-most yards (704) and most touchdown catches (five) for the Browns this season. Among NFL tight ends, he ranks fifth in receptions.

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When will David Njoku return?

Tight end David Njoku has been excellent lately, collecting three touchdown passes in his last three games with Joe Flacco at center for the Cleveland Browns.

On Wednesday, though, the tight end was listed on the Browns' injury report. Thankfully, he was classified as "NIR," meaning that it's not an injury that prevented him from practicing.

Before the Week 16 matchup with the Texans, Njoku is expected to make his way back to the practice field and participate in full sessions.