As tight end Sam LaPorta nurses his back injury, adding a top TE made a lot of sense for the Detroit Lions entering this offseason.
But now, arguably the top TE remaining is off the market.
On Tuesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that former Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku has signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. The deal is reportedly a one-year deal for up to $8 million.
The one-time Pro Bowler was a popular suggestion for the Lions at TE, given his ties to new Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Petzing was the Browns' TE coach in 2020 and 2021, working directly with Njoku.
Under Petzing's impressive run as a TE coach, Njoku played in 29 games, starting 16 of them. He totaled 688 yards and six touchdown receptions across those two seasons. In 2021, Njoku split TE reps with Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant, where they each caught three TD passes. Only one Browns wide receiver that season, Donovan Peoples-Jones, could say the same. Out of all of them, Njoku led the way with four TD receptions.
Njoku is a catch-all at the TE position, with his abilities to both catch and block, which would've made him a great fit for the Lions.
His play did see a bit of a drop off after his Pro Bowl season in 2023, but a part of that could be attributed to the Browns' struggle to find consistently solid play at quarterback. That would not have been an issue with the Lions, as Jared Goff had few issues getting the ball to LaPorta.
The Lions already added to their TE depth
It's unclear if the Lions even viewed Njoku as an option. Earlier in the offseason, the Lions did sign former Chargers and Jets TE Tyler Conklin for one year and up to $4.5 million. The Michigan native started 15 games as recently as 2024, but saw his offensive snap count plummet in his lone season with the Chargers.
The Lions did not draft a TE at all in the 2026 NFL Draft, but brought in Tennessee TE Miles Kitselman as an undrafted free agent signing. The Lions also retained Zach Horton through a reserve/future contract and added former Chicago Bears practice squad member Thomas Gordon in a similar deal.
READ MORE: The Athletic's projection model shows how well the Lions roster stacks up
LaPorta is expected to be back for training camp. Considering LaPorta is due for an extension, both he and the Lions will likely be cautious to avoid any long-term injuries. Brock Wright remains as one of the team's backups, whose 108 yards last season are similar to Conklin's 101, but Wright had twice as many receptions, along with two TDs.
Without knowing how LaPorta is going to look when he returns, or when he'll be fully up to speed again, signing Njoku would've made complete sense. The team wouldn't have to lean as heavily on LaPorta coming off an injury, and a LaPorta-Njoku tandem had the potential to be one of the league's best TE duos in an already explosive offense.
Instead, by not signing Njoku nor drafting a TE, the Lions appear to have confidence in both LaPorta's recovery and Conklin's ability to look more like his Jets self than his Chargers self.
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