One Interesting Takeaway From the Chargers Unofficial Depth Chart Ahead of Week 1

The Los Angeles Chargers will begin the 2026 season at home against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, which no doubt has many fans excited.

With the first game being on Sunday, the Chargers have released their first unofficial depth chart of the regular season, and on that depth chart, there was one very interesting takeaway.

The interesting takeaway is that Oronde Gadsden is not the starter or the backup at tight end. Instead, the Chargers have listed Charlie Kolar or David Njoku as the starter, which is an interesting designation.

Last season, Gadsden and quarterback Justin Herbert were able to build great chemistry which resulted in a solid rookie year for Gadsden as he tallied 49 receptions for 664 yards, three touchdowns, and 28 first downs.

Standing at 6-5 and 236 pounds, Gadsden was a constant matchup problem for opposing defenses with his combination of size and speed which is a key reason why he and Herbert were able to get on the same page. However, at least for now it seems that he will serve a more rotational role rather than a starting role with Kolar and Njoku ahead of him on the depth chart.

Speaking of Kolar and Njoku, they both came over this offseason through free agency and provide a solid veteran presence that this tight end room could definitely use. Last season, Kolar and Njoku were solid but were not the number one tight end option on their respective teams.

In 2025, Kolar totaled 10 receptions for 142 yards, two touchdowns, and nine first downs while Njoku recorded 33 catches for 293 yards, four touchdowns, and 11 first downs.

After taking a look at the stats, it seems that Kolar and Njoku are solid tight end options, but they were not able to have great production in 2025 which may leave the door open for Gadsden to earn a significant role in this offense.

On that note, the Chargers' offense may look very different this year after adding offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel to lead the offense.

In the past, McDaniel has found solid success with his tight ends through lining them up all over the formation and putting opposing defenses in tough positions constantly as they try to figure out how to adjust. With Kolar, Njoku, and Gadsden, McDaniel has three very different skill sets that could be very difficult to match up with and will then put defenses in very tough positions.

Additionally, McDaniel likes to establish the ground game, so having solid blockers at that position is quite important, and with Kolar and Njoku in particular, it seems that McDaniel will have exactly that. Gadsden should continue to grow as a blocker, but it is important to keep in mind that he is entering his second year in the NFL, so he has some time to progress.

So, heading into the 2026 season, while the Chargers did have to list starters at the tight end position, the trio of Kolar, Njoku, and Gadsden could see lots of rotation throughout the year and could very well form one of the deepest tight end rooms in the entire NFL.