Browns TE David Njoku wants to be better than Hall-of-Famer Ozzie Newsome

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku has set the bar high for himself regarding the remainder of his career. 

For a piece published Thursday, Njoku told Scott Petrak of the Chronicle-Telegram and the Medina Gazette that he wants to be "better" than Browns legend and Hall-of-Fame tight end Ozzie Newsome. Njoku's words followed a kind comparison made by New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on Wednesday as the 2-3 Browns prepare to host the 2-3 Patriots this Sunday. 

"Njoku, productive tight end, after Ozzie, probably the best tight end the Browns have ever had, which, that’s saying something," the former Cleveland coach remarked at that time. 

Njoku put pen to paper on a four-year contract extension that could be worth up to $56.75 million this past offseason and has thus far produced solid numbers catching passes thrown by backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who is filling in for suspended starter Deshaun Watson. The 26-year-old has recorded 24 catches for 289 yards and a touchdown ahead of Week 6. 

"I don’t really listen to people talk. I just focus on what I’ve got to do to help this team win," Njoku said when asked about Belichick's compliment. "So, yeah, appreciate it, but it is what it is."

Njoku originally joined the Browns when they made him a first-round pick during the 2017 NFL Draft, and he's tallied 172 career receptions for 2,043 yards and 16 touchdowns. To compare, Pro-Football-Reference shows that Newsome, who played for the so-called "old Browns" from 1978-90, holds the franchise records of 662 career catches and 7,980 receiving yards. Newsome added 47 receiving touchdowns and two scores on the ground. 

"So clearly, the job’s not finished yet," Njoku said about potentially bettering Newsome's marks at some point down the road.