David Njokuisdone hiding behind a maskafter burning his face in a household accident.
On Wednesday, the 27-year-oldCleveland Brownstight end posteda gallery of photos to Instagram, including two that showed the extent of his injuries from the blaze.
It’s the first time Njoku has publicly shown his face in the 12 days following the incident. He’s previously been covering it, like on Oct. 1 when he walked into Cleveland Browns Stadium wearing a beige, alien-inspired disguise that blanketed everything but his eyes.
His social media upload did not include a caption, but the two pictures he shared appeared to show the progress of his recovery.
Cleveland browns David Njoku.David Njoku/ Instagram
David Njoku/ Instagram
The first selfie was snapped as a calm-faced Njoku sat in a car, with the hood on his camouflage sweatshirt pulled up over his head. Though black sunglasses covered his eyes, the snap showed visible skin damage on his forehead, cheeks, nose, lips and chin. In the reflection of his glasses, similar injuries could be seen on his right hand, while his left hand was wrapped in a bandage.
In the second picture, Njoku was all smiles as he grinned for the camera. The irritated portions of his skin and lips had dulled significantly. His face was also shiny, seemingly from sweat.
Jason Miller/Getty
Nijoku’s teammates shared their support, too. “Respect !!” Browns cornerback, Greg Newsome II, wrote. Running back Kareem Hunt poked fun at the accident, adding two flame emoji.
Njoku’s accident occurred Sept. 29 while he was lighting a fire pit in his backyard, according toESPN.
The following day, the Browns announced that the team’s tight end had beenadded to the team’s injury reportahead of the Oct. 1 matchup against the Ravens. He was listed as questionable “after sustaining burn injuries to his face and arm during a household accident,” Browns officials wrote in a message on itswebsite.
No other details about the severity of Njoku’s injuries were provided at the time.
While it was unclear if Njoku would play, he made it clear on X that he’d be on the field. “The flesh is weak,” he wrote, before referencing the team’s nickname. “See u tomorrow#DawgPound.”
David Njoku in June 2022.Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty
Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty
Sadly for the Browns, they fell short against the Ravens, losing the game in a 28-3 loss. But Njoku — who covered his face with another mask during warm-ups — played well, making six catches for 46 yards.
“The way he played was unbelievable to me with what he went through — not just the pass game, the run game, " Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told repoorters in the aftermath of the the game. “He was the first guy picking his teammates up off the ground. It felt like every single play. He was a warrior. It was impressive to watch.”
Cleveland browns David Njoku before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at.Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty
Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty
Photos from the game were also shared on Njoki’s Instagram gallery Wednesday.
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Earlier this week,Njoku revealed he was launching a merchandise linecalled “Withstand.”
A share of the money made from each sale, he said, would be donated to the American Burn Association.
The Browns next face the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 15 in Cleveland.
source: people.com
