Chargers News
[the_ad id=”105842″]Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden set career highs in his fourth professional game. The fifth-round pick caught seven passes for sixty-eight yards on eight targets in the Chargers’ twenty-nine to twenty-seven victory over Miami in Week 6.
Gadsden has caught fifteen passes for one hundred forty-four yards on nineteen targets across four games this season. The twenty-two-year-old was inactive for the season’s first two contests before injuries opened the door for playing time beginning in Week 3.
The rookie played a season-high seventy-five percent of the Chargers’ offensive snaps against the Dolphins. That marked a significant increase from his previous workload and established him as the primary receiving tight end in Los Angeles. He also posted fifty-six total snaps, more than any other tight end on the roster in that contest.
Gadsden responded well despite an early fumble in the Miami game. Head coach Jim Harbaugh praised his resilience after the turnover. The rookie repeatedly served as a checkdown target for quarterback Justin Herbert throughout the afternoon and showed ability after the catch.
The Syracuse product emerged as a reliable option despite veteran Will Dissly returning from a three-week absence due to a knee injury. Dissly contributed two catches for eighteen yards against Miami but Gadsden’s consistent performance has made the bigger impression on the coaching staff.
Gadsden’s target share could decrease in Week 7 when the Chargers host the Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium. Wide receiver Quentin Johnston appears likely to return after missing last week’s game with a hamstring injury. Johnston practiced fully Thursday after being limited Wednesday, signaling he has recovered from the injury that kept him out against Miami.
Johnston leads Chargers wide receivers with three hundred seventy-seven yards and four touchdowns through five games. His return would provide Herbert another downfield threat and redistribute targets among the pass catchers. Johnston missed his first game of the season in Week 6 after the hamstring problem limited him in practice all week leading up to the contest.
Gadsden has steadily increased his role since entering the lineup. His snap counts grew from twenty in Week 3 to thirty-three in Week 4 to thirty-four in Week 5 before spiking to fifty-six against the Dolphins. His routes run followed a similar progression, climbing from fifteen to twenty-one to twenty-five before reaching thirty-one last Sunday.
The Chargers drafted Gadsden in the fifth round with the one hundred sixty-fifth overall selection. He converted from wide receiver to tight end during his college career at Syracuse, where he set school records for receptions and yards by a tight end. His father, Oronde Gadsden, played wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins from nineteen ninety-eight through two thousand three.
Los Angeles faces Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon at one oh five Pacific Time. The game will air on CBS. Gadsden could become a streaming option in deeper fantasy football leagues as the season progresses, particularly at the tight end position where productive options remain scarce.
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