Though both were widely anticipated moves, the Cleveland Browns officially announced the organization is exercising the fifth-year contract options for the 2021 season for defensive end Myles Garrett and tight end David Njoku.
Garrett and Njoku were both a part of the Browns’ 2017 draft class; both went in the first round. Garrett was the top overall pick while Njoku went 29th overall.
Browns will exercise fifth-year options on 2017 first-round picks Myles Garrett and David Njoku, per league source
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) April 27, 2020
Each player has shown flashes of being highly productive contributors to the Browns, but both have been a source of criticism too.
The 24-year-old Garrett was the talk of the sports world last season when he took a swing at Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph with the QB’s own helmet after a scuffle during a game last season. That resulted in a season-long suspension for Garrett. Which amounted to six games.r
He has since been reinstated by the league. The D-end has maintained that Rudolph used a racial slur leading up to the helmet swing; Rudolph has continually denied the allegation.
Garrett has 104 total tackles and 30.5 sacks for Cleveland over the first 37 games of his career.
Njoku hasn’t put himself in a negative spotlight like Garrett with actions, but rather has met some measure of critiques about his production – or lack of – on the field. While his total numbers aren’t at all bad, he’s has been relatively inconsistent. Which has led some to question whether or not he was worth the first-round pick Cleveland spent on him.
The 23-year-old tight end has 93 career receptions in 36 games. Those have been good for 1,066 yards and nine touchdowns.
Though by pickup up the options, both players figure to be in Cleveland through the 2021 season, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if the options were merely a placeholder to make sure the Browns keep them under contract while longer-term extensions were worked out, especially in the case of Garrett.
