Browns’ David Njoku discloses he bizarrely had to make sure Joe Flacco wasn’t sent by the Ravens as an ‘undercover opp’ before he could trust him

Njoku was weary of his new teammate, who once terrorized his team with their divisional rivals.

Browns’ David Njoku discloses he bizarrely had to make sure Joe Flacco wasn’t sent by the Ravens as an ‘undercover opp’ before he could trust him

(L) David Njoku and (R) Joe Flacco (Image via IMAGO)

The Cleveland Browns roller coaster 2023 season came to a reasonable end with Joe Flacco calming the situation down with his expansive quarterback play. After witnessing three of his quarterbacks end up on the medical bed, head coach Kevin Stefanski brought in the veteran QB, and it paid dividends.

However, hardly anyone in the Brown’s locker room saw that move. Tight end David Njoku disclosed what he thought when the 39-year-old walked into the Browns facility for training. Njoku thought Flacco could be a spy.

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I saw on Instagram that we got him, then I saw him in the training room. I kind of sized him up. He was with the Ravens for so many years. I had to make sure [Joe Flacco] wasn’t an undercover opp.
Njoku said

The Baltimore Ravens drafted Flacco out of Delaware in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played the majority of his career in Baltimore as a starter. The reason for Njoku’s concern was that the Browns and Ravens share the same division, the AFC North.

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So when Stefanski gave Flacco a one-year $2.5 million deal, it naturally got Njoku suspicious because he feared that there may be some allegiance issues. 

Njoku’s suspicion turned into admiration for Joe Flacco

With starting quarterback Deshaun Watson sidelined with a shoulder injury, Flacco took over the reins behind center. After going 4-1 in the regular season, he led the Browns to their first playoff game in three seasons, only losing to the Houston Texans. 

Browns' David Njoku discloses he bizarrely had to make sure Joe Flacco wasn’t sent by the Ravens as an 'undercover opp' before he could trust him
The Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (Image via IMAGO)

Flacco’s much-praised strong throws clicked with the Browns receivers. Amari Cooper registered his career-best 265 receiving yards in a regular season against the Texans. It also broke the Browns longstanding record held by Josh Gordon. 

With such explosive performances from players around him, Flacco finished the season with 1616 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. However, he also threw eight picks and two pick-6s in the postseason loss to the Texans. Yet Njoku believes that the Super Bowl was a ‘blessing’ in disguise.

He [Joe Flacco] was awesome; he was a blessing for sure. The chemistry happened just like that. It was almost like I knew when he was throwing it to me before the ball was even snapped.
Njoku added.

Njoku also recorded his best-ever numbers in the NFL. The 27-year-old caught 81 passes for 882 receiving yards for six touchdowns, bagging his first pro-bowl nod.

As for the future of Flacco with the team, that’s still up in the air. If Njoku had his way, then he would love to see the veteran remain part of the Browns.

We definitely had fun, man. I hope he stays in Cleveland.
Njoku said.

As of now, Joe Flacco is a free agent and hasn’t announced any plans to retire. It may not come as a surprise to Njoku, but the ex-Jets QB is in demand and could be picked up either by the Atlanta Falcons or return to the Big Apple.

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