Cleveland Browns helmet Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns season got off to a rough start Sunday. The Browns lost 33-17 at home to the Dallas Cowboys in a game where star quarterback Deshaun Watson and the defense struggled throughout the contest. The performance alone was poor enough to cast clouds over Cleveland’s season, but the team is also awaiting potentially devastating news on the injury front.

The Browns’ starting tight end, David Njoku, left Sunday’s game early with an injury and if things are as severe as the team fears, they’ll be without their star blocker and pass catcher for a considerable amount of time. According to Pro Football Talk, the Browns fear Njoku suffered a high-ankle sprain in the loss and will have him undergo further testing on Monday to confirm the extent of the injury.

If a high-ankle sprain in confirmed, it would probably mean that Njoku is out for several weeks. This is horrible news for a team that leans heavily on their tight end for performance. Njoku recorded four catches for 44 yards before the injury sidelined him. If Sunday’s performance against the Cowboys is anything to judge by, the Browns can’t afford to be without any weapons moving forward.

The Browns will hope that Njoku will be available for next week’s clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it doesn’t seem all that likely.

[Pro Football Talk]