David Njoku of the Brownsher struck early for one of the first notable gags of April Fools' Day on Friday.
The veteran tight end took to Twitter to inform his 122,500 followers that he'd requested a trade out of Cleveland -- only to reveal a short while later it was just a ruse.
"April Fools baby," he said in a followup tweet featuring a "Seinfeld" gif.
Among Njoku's many victims was NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, who seemed a little sore at having fallen for the hoax.
Also expressing mixed emotions was Browns executive vice president JW Johnson, who responded by saying "Not funny dude!" with angry and laughing emojis.
Rapoport followed up with a "real update" indicating that not only was Njoku's trade request a red herring, but the former first-round draft pick was in fact engaged in extension talks with the Browns.
The reported negotiations come after the Browns franchise-tagged the five-year veteran earlier this offseason, assuring him a 2022 salary of $10.93 million. However, that move was reported to potentially just be a placeholder for a long-term deal.
Njoku's role with the Browns seemed to be shored up when the team released tight end Austin Hooper earlier this offseason, just two years after signing him. With Hooper out of the picture, it seems the Browns will feature Njoku and 2020 fourth-rounder Harrison Bryant in their two-tight end sets.
Those who fell for Njoku's hijinks can be excused, however, given that he previously requested a trade from the Browns in 2020, following the signing of Hooper. While Hooper had arguably the better season of the three tight ends in 2020, Njoku outplayed them both last season.
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