Chargers News
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Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II recorded seven receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s 38-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium. The 164-yard performance marked the most productive single-game outing by a rookie tight end since Kyle Pitts posted 163 yards in 2021.
Gadsden’s breakout came in his seventh NFL game. The fifth-round pick from Syracuse caught a 53-yard pass early in the third quarter that helped him surpass the 100-yard mark. He later scored his first career touchdown on a 15-yard reception in the fourth quarter.
“He got out there and makes the tough catch on the boundary, contested catches, challenging-type catches,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier this season about Gadsden’s abilities.
The performance represented a dramatic rise for the 22-year-old. Gadsden was inactive for the season’s first two games before making his debut in Week 3 against Denver. He has steadily increased his role each week, culminating in Sunday’s career day against Indianapolis.
Gadsden now ranks as the Chargers’ starting tight end on the depth chart. He has moved ahead of veterans Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin, both of whom opened training camp as the team’s top options at the position. The Syracuse product has posted 14 receptions for 232 yards and one touchdown over his last two games.
The rookie’s college background shaped his current role. Gadsden entered Syracuse as a wide receiver before converting to tight end during his sophomore season in 2022. He rewrote the school’s tight end record books with 141 career receptions for 1,970 yards across 28 games. His receiving skills have translated quickly to the NFL level.
Sunday’s yardage total ranked as the fourth-highest single-game performance by a tight end in Chargers franchise history. Gadsden became the first Los Angeles tight end to exceed 100 receiving yards in a game since Hunter Henry accomplished the feat in 2019 against Pittsburgh. The Chargers fell to 4-3 with the home loss to Indianapolis. Quarterback Justin Herbert completed 37 of 55 passes for 420 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Wide receivers Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey also surpassed 100 receiving yards in the defeat.
Gadsden’s emergence provides Herbert with another receiving weapon as Los Angeles enters the second half of its schedule. The Chargers selected Gadsden with the 165th overall pick in April’s draft after trading two sixth-round selections to Philadelphia.
Los Angeles will host the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football in Week 8. The short preparation time will test whether Gadsden can maintain his expanded role against a Vikings defense that has allowed moderate production to opposing tight ends this season.
The rookie’s father, Oronde Gadsden, played six seasons as an NFL wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins. The younger Gadsden has quickly established himself as a key component of the Chargers’ passing attack.
