Chargers-Browns trade proposal frees $54 million playmaker from Cleveland nightmare

The Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland Browns are two teams going in completely different directions.

In the first year under Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers had way more success than anyone anticipated, with Los Angeles going 11-6 and making the playoffs. As a result, there's no question the Chargers are an ascending team in the AFC.

Meanwhile, the Browns remain a mess. Fresh off a 3-14 season, the team still doesn't have a sure long-term solution under center. Deshaun Watson has been a total disaster and is unlikely to play in 2025 due to injury, and Cleveland now has a competition between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders

With the Browns clearly rebuilding, it's not crazy to think Cleveland could sell off some valuable pieces ahead of 2025, and one of those valuable pieces is tight end David Njoku.

Bleacher Report's Alex Kay proposed a trade between the Chargers and Browns that would save Njoku from the mess that is Cleveland and send him to greener pastures in Los Angeles.

Kay's proposal sees the Chargers surrender just a fifth-round pick for the services of the veteran tight end, who is entering the final year of his $54 million contract.

"The Los Angeles Chargers should come calling if Njoku is up for grabs," Kay explained. "The team desperately needs to improve its tight end situation after failing to land an elite prospect in the 2025 draft and currently has an unexciting veteran duo of Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly set to handle most of the work at that position this season."

The biggest issue we have with Los Angeles' roster currently is the shaky group of pass-catchers. On top of some question marks at wide receiver, neither of the team's tight ends, Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly, are big difference-makers as pass-catchers.

Njoku is the exact opposite, as he's one of the better playmaking tight ends in the NFL.

Njoku has broken the 600-yard mark three times during his NFL career, and he posted an impressive 505 yards in just 11 games last season — and that was with a terrible quarterback situation. Conklin and Dissly have just one 600-yard season combined, and neither has ever topped 800 yards like Njoku has.

Safe to say, Njoku would be just the upgrade the Chargers need to Justin Herbert's arsenal of weapons.

The concern with Njoku is his injury history. Granted, he hasn't missed a ton of games during his career, but enough to be concerned about. He's also routinely on the injury report.

That said, there is still little risk for the Chargers in bringing Njoku in, especially at the price of a fifth-round pick.

If things don't pan out, Njoku will be a free agent in 2026 and won't cause any long-term pain for Los Angeles. But if he's able to stay healthy and play at the level we've seen during his career, he'll amount to a huge asset for Harbaugh's offense.