David Njoku, a tight end with the Cleveland Browns, has spoken up about the injuries he sustained in a home fire pit accident.
Speaking to media following Friday’s practice, Njoku described the occurrence as “interesting” and said that because his eyes were open at the time, he “should have been blinded.”
Njoku, who had arm and face ailments going into a Week 4 game against the Baltimore Ravens, was a late addition to the Browns injury list. One day before the game was played, on September 30, he sent an ambiguous message on social media.
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Njoku’s agent, Malki Kawa, acknowledged the injuries were caused by a collision with a fire pit in Njoku’s backyard, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Njoku revealed the wounds on his face for the first time on Thursday in a series of photos uploaded to Instagram. The 27-year-old had been hiding his identity in public ever since the incident before he uploaded his photos.
Njoku played in Week 4 despite the severity of the burns on his body and face. In the 28-3 loss to the Ravens, he participated in 70 percent of the offensive snaps and hauled in a season-high six passes for 46 yards.
In preparation for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, Njoku hasn’t practiced this week. According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, he will probably be rated as questionable and might not play.
Njoku, a first-round selection of the Browns in the 2017 NFL Draft, has played in 83 games over seven seasons. He has started all four of the team’s opening contests in 2023 and is tied for third on the team in receiving yards with 138.
