Oronde Gadsden II is the Chargers’ best-kept secret
I think I can, without a doubt, say that second-year tight end Oronde Gadsden II is one of the most exciting Chargers fans are looking forward to watching in 2026 after a great rookie season. He became a dangerous weapon for Justin Herbert once he cemented himself in the team’s starting lineup and will once again be looked upon to make plays under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Even with the host of other under-the-radar players across the Chargers, including some of their free-agent signings this offseason, Gadsden was actually named the team’s best-kept secret by Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski. Here’s what the analyst had to say: “ Oronde Gadsden II has always been a weapon in the passing game. At Syracuse, the tight end/oversized wide receiver posted two 900-plus yard seasons when healthy. The fact Gadsden entered the Los Angeles Chargers’ lineup as a rookie and caught 49 passes for 664 yards came as no surprise whatsoever. “ “ The 165th overall pick in last year’s draft should expect a bigger workload this fall. “ “ First, Keenan Allen hasn’t re-signed, which frees up 122 targets. Also, the organization brought in veteran tight end David Njoku on a one-year deal to be the primary in-line option. The Chargers can lean heavily on 12 personnel without losing any playmaking thanks to Gadsden and Njoku’s capabilities. “ “ The former has the potential to become Justin Herbert’s new security blanket and control the middle of the field. “ Gadsden was always going to be expected to take that next step in his sophomore season. That notion only gained further momentum when the Chargers added Mike McDaniel as their new offensive coordinator. However, the additions of tight ends Njoku and Charlie Kolar were not made without the idea that both would also be used as receiving threats, even if the latter is deemed one of the best blocking players in the league at his position. Still, as Sobleski highlighted above, Keenan Allen ’s absence from the offense means there’s well over 100 looks left on the table. The expectation remains that Gadsden is likely to lead the room in production by the end of the year, but now the Bolts have three very reliable players to be utilized in a number of ways. And heck, don’t be surprised to see all three of them on the field at the same time quite a bit throughout the season
