Tight end David Njoku spent an extended time on the open market as a free agent before signing a one-year deal with the Chargers earlier this month. Njoku said on Tuesday that he “could’ve signed before the draft in other places,” but had his eye on the Chargers as a preferred destination because he believed it would be a “perfect fit” for his skills. He noted the presence of head coach Jim Harbaugh, offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and quarterback Justin Herbert as some of the leading reasons for that belief. While he hasn’t spent much time with his new team, it has been enough to reinforce Njoku’s feeling that he is in the right spot. “I feel like we can be destructive ,” Njoku said, via the team’s website. “We got the tools, we got the keys, we got the players to do it all. It’s up to us to put it all together.” Putting it all together has been an issue for the Chargers in the Herbert era as they have lost all three of their playoff appearances as a road team in the wild card round. The additions of McDaniel and Njoku are big parts of this year’s bid to author a happier ending
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
The Chargers essentially lived on an airplane last season, traveling more miles than any other NFL team. This season, they will have a long runway followed by a dramatically sharp ascent. They open against three first-time head coaches in succession, then face four Super Bowl-winning head coaches in a row. Their first three games are against Arizona (Mike LaFleur), Las Vegas (Klint Kubiak) and Buffalo (Joe Brady), before squaring off against Seattle (Mike Macdonald), Denver (Sean Payton), Kansas City (Andy Reid) and — after a week off — the Rams (Sean McVay). And it’s not as if the Chargers will be homebodies, as they have four coast-to-coast trips with road games at the Bills, Baltimore , Tampa Bay and Miami . So they will still be racking up the frequent-flier miles. Read more: Chargers agree to deal with former Cleveland tight end David Njoku The NFL made an effort to put some space between those cross-country games for the Chargers. “We’re always being sensitive, trying to make sure we're not pingponging a team across the country with travel to the East Coast and back,” said Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution. “So we try to make sure those trips are broken up where we can, and we’re not doing too much of that back and forth.” This marks the third season under Jim Harbaugh, who has had remarkable success at every stop in his coaching career but has yet to win a playoff game with the Chargers. Same goes for quarterback Justin Herbert , who was drafted in 2020 and is still looking for his inaugural postseason victory. SoFi Stadium will host the Super Bowl next February, and the Battle For Los Angeles in Week 8 when the Chargers play at the Rams, a rare meaningful matchup of the crosstown foes. The Chargers will play three preseason games, all Thursday night games against opponents they will face in the regular season. They will play at Houston on Aug. 13, followed by home games against San Francisco (Aug. 20) and the Rams (Aug. 27). All will be broadcast on CBS-LA. Here is a game-by-game look at the regular-season schedule (all times Pacific): Sept. 13, ARIZONA, 1:25 p.m. (CBS): It’s a gentle start against the rebuilding Cardinals, who figure to have Jacoby Brissett at quarterback in place of the familiar Kyler Murray , who is now with the Minnesota Vikings . The last time these teams played was in Arizona two years ago, and the Cardinals won, 17-15. Sept. 20, LAS VEGAS , 1:05 p.m. (CBS): Back-to-back home games for the Chargers, who opened last season in Brazil. The Chargers swept the Raiders last season. Could No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza be starting at quarterback for the Silver and Black? Sept. 27, at Buffalo, 10 a.m. (Fox): The first of four East Coast trips for the Chargers, who are stepping into a tough environment but at least won’t have to deal with a Buffalo winter. This is the start of a rugged seven-game stretch for the Chargers. Oct. 4, at Seattle, 1:25 p.m. (CBS): The last time these teams played was 2023, so the rosters have pretty much turned over since then. Kenneth Walker III ran for 167 yards in that 37-23 win by the Seahawks . He was Super Bowl MVP last season and is now playing for Kansas City, so the Chargers will see enough of him. Oct. 11, DENVER, 1:05 p.m. (CBS): The Chargers and Broncos split last season, with each team holding serve at home. The Chargers won by three at SoFi, but the Broncos held their second-stringers to a mere field goal in the regular-season finale with Denver winning at home, 19-3. Oct. 18, at Kansas City, 1:25 p.m. (CBS): As is the case with the Buffalo game, the Chargers are sidestepping some potentially harsh weather. They beat the Chiefs in Brazil in last season’s opener, then lost by three at Arrowhead in Week 15. Oct. 25: Bye week. In recent years, the Chargers have almost always gotten their week off in the first half of the season. They had so many injuries last season, they could have used a week off every o
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Good morning, Chargers fans! You know what to do! And now for today’s links. Five things to know about the 2026 schedule release (Chargers.com) Mike McDaniel recently spoke on the current state of the Chargers offensive line (Chargers.com) Five things to know about David Njoku , the Chargers’ newest tight end (Chargers Wire) Chargers fans should be on the edge of their seats with the AFC West race heating up this offseason (Bolt Beat) Predicting every international contest during the 2026 regular season (CBS Sports) The Falcons will face the Bengals in Madrid this year (NFL.com) Bengals wideout Andrei Iosivas says that online abuse got to his head during the 2025 season (ESPN) Brian Burns is looking at the Giants defense as “his” unit this season (Pro Football Talk) All four teams in the NFC North should push for a playoff berth this season (Sports Illustrated) The Eagles will face the Cowboys on Thanksgiving (Bleacher Report)
Veteran tight end David Njoku has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Chargers on a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $8 million. Njoku, a 2017 Pro Bowl selection, spent his previous nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns, where he recorded career highs in catches, yards, and touchdowns in 2023. He joins a Chargers offense that also features tight end Oronde Gadsden
Oronde Gadsden will face increased competition for snaps and targets in 2026 following the addition of free agent David Njoku, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Chargers
Veteran tight end David Njoku has signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, potentially worth up to $8 million. Njoku spent his first nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns, earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2023 after career-highs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. He will now play with quarterback Justin Herbert but will face competition for targets from Oronde Gadsden II
Justin Herbert is poised for a big season as the Chargers have replaced offensive coordinator Greg Roman with Mike McDaniel and added veteran tight end David Njoku. With a talented group of pass catchers including Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Tre' Harris, Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, Njoku, and Oronde Gadsden, and improvements to the offensive line, Herbert's dynasty value is expected to soar. He is considered a strong buy at his current QB9 ranking
Veteran TE David Njoku has signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. After nine seasons with the Browns, Njoku saw reduced stats in 2025 due to rookie Harold Fannin Jr.'s emergence. In LA, he joins a crowded receiving corps and could be a late-round best ball target. This move may delay Oronde Gadsden's ascent to the starting TE role
Free agent TE David Njoku will visit with the Chargers Monday. The market for Njoku has seemingly been quiet as he remains a free agent following the NFL Draft. If he lands with the Chargers, he could impact the growth of Oronde Gadsden. He'll remain a player to monitor as he likely looks to sign with a team soon
Njoku will visit the Chargers on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Njoku entered free agency after the Browns cut the veteran tight end in mid-March. He has yet to catch on with another team, but that could change following his visit with the Chargers. Oronde Gadsden emerged as the Chargers' top tight end last season and the team inked Charlie Kolar to a three-year deal in early March, but adding Njoku would give the Bolts another playmaking pass catcher that Justin Herbert could rely on in the passing game. Njoku has struggled with injuries over the past couple of seasons but has been productive when on the field. He finished the 2025 regular season with 33 catches (on 48 targets) for 293 yards and four touchdowns across 12 games
Former Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku remains unsigned after a down year led to his release. The 29-year-old veteran ceded a considerable workload to breakthrough rookie Harold Fannin Jr. and finished his ninth season in Cleveland with only 293 yards on 33 catches. Njoku is a plus blocker and a huge target who has long been a menace after the catch, and despite seeing 21 tight ends selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, including nine through the first three rounds, there are still tight end-needy teams on the market. With NFL offenses gearing more towards heavy personnel, this recent draft was evidence of the growing need for depth at the position, and Njoku's versatility could still make him a factor in fantasy regardless of where he ultimately lands. At RotoBaller's dynasty TE23, he's a low-cost dart throw depth piece who is likely to see his value spike as soon as he finds a new home
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