The Browns last week gave tight end David Njoku a new contract. It’s great money, based on his production and performance during five NFL seasons.
The contract isn’t a four-year extension, but a four-year deal that replaces what he would have earned under the franchise tag in 2022 -- $10.9 million.
We’ve gotten a look at the details of the four-year contract. Here’s the full breakdown:
1. Signing bonus: $11.465 million.
2. 2022 base salary: $1.035 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2023 base salary: $4.5 million, fully guaranteed.
4. 2023 option bonus: $8 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed in March 2023.
5. 2024 base salary: $13 million, $3 million of which is guaranteed for injury at signing. The $3 million becomes guaranteed in March 2023.
6. 2024 per-game roster bonuses: Up to $1.5 million.
7. 2025 base salary: $14.25 million.
8. 2025 per-game roster bonuses: Up to $1.0 million.
The deal also has annual incentives of $250,000 for being named a first- or second-team All-Pro or $500,000 for being named a first- or second-team All-Pro and for the Browns making it to the playoffs.
As a practical matter, it’s a two-year, $25 million deal. The Browns have a team-held option for each of the final two years. He’d have $3 million in guaranteed pay for 2024, if the Browns move on after 2023.
It’s more than he’d make under two years of the franchise tag ($23.98 million), and it guarantees $17 million of it right away. To avoid the extra $11 millions in guarantees, the Browns would have to release Njoku after only one season.
