The Los Angeles Chargers will be without tight ends David Njoku (fibula) and Charlie Kolar (forearm) for at least four games after placing both on injured reserve Monday, leaving second-year tight end Oronde Gadsden II as their only active player at the position. The injuries dismantle a group the club rebuilt for a more versatile offense and put an immediate burden on Gadsden, the personnel department, and quarterback Justin Herbert.
Locked On Chargers host David Droegemeier said the losses erase the balance the room offered. Njoku gave the offense an established receiving option with size, while Kolar arrived as a blocker capable of helping the run game. The Chargers now must add depth, with head coach Jim Harbaugh saying the team is working with its personnel department on options.
Gadsden has already shown he can handle a larger share of the passing game. He posted 49 catches for 664 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 2025, and the Chargers had built their offseason tight end plan around his athleticism alongside the complementary skill sets of Njoku and Kolar. Locked On Chargers host Daniel Wade said Gadsden must now build on that production as the offense’s primary tight end option.
The immediate problem extends beyond targets. Kolar’s absence removes a player the Chargers signed to improve their blocking, while Njoku’s injury takes away a veteran option who could align in multiple roles. Droegemeier described the club as being unable to be selective in its search for reinforcements, a reflection of how quickly its depth has disappeared.
Gadsden’s expanded role is now unavoidable, but the Chargers also need to find at least one playable replacement quickly. With Njoku and Kolar unavailable until at least late October, the response at tight end will shape how much the offense can preserve its preferred personnel packages.
Chargers News and Notes
– Left guard Kayode Awosika (fibula) is expected to miss time, and Harbaugh said Trevor Penning will take over the starting job. The change adds another injury-driven adjustment to an offensive line already trying to stabilize its protection for Herbert.
– Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (hamstring) is also expected to miss time. The Chargers have interior options in Teair Tart and Jamaree Caldwell, but Tomlinson’s absence tests the run defense after he opened the season as a productive front-line contributor.
