The LA Chargers did not wait for the start of NFL free agency to make the team's first move of the offseason in re-signing safety Elijah Molden. Molden is no longer alone, as the Bolts have made another move to keep a player from last year's team.
The Chargers announced on Wednesday that they are placing an exclusive rights tender on tight end Tucker Fisk. Fisk will return to the Chargers for a second season on a one-year contract that will pay him just over $1 million next season, per Over The Cap.
Chargers tender ERFA Tucker Fisk prior to NFL free agency
Fisk spent two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before signing with the Chargers in training camp this past August. Fisk did not make the initial 53-man roster and was waived as part of roster cut downs just two weeks after the Bolts signed him.
The Chargers instantly re-signed Fisk to the practice squad, where he would spend the first half of the 2024 season. Los Angeles promoted Fisk to the active roster in early November with Hayden Hurst dealing with various injuries. Fisk would not return to the practice squad.
The third-year tight end appeared in nine games for the Chargers, mostly in a special teams capacity. Fisk caught seven passes for 39 yards in his nine games and even caught one pass for 15 yards in the AFC Wild Card Round against the Houston Texans.
Fisk finished with the third-most receiving yards among Chargers pass catchers in that game, just one yard behind Will Dissly. This highlighted the Chargers' need for a pass-catcher this offseason.
Tight end is one of the biggest needs for the Chargers this offseason and Fisk will be in the running to get a fair share of snaps in the Chargers' offense.
If Fisk is playing marquee snaps at the tight end position next season then the front office probably did something wrong. However, there is no such thing as too much depth and that is what Fisk provides as a locker room leader.
The main focus for Chargers fans in the coming days is the future of the wide receiver position. With Davante Adams being released and DK Metcalf requesting a trade, there are multiple big-name wideouts who are now tied to the team.
If the Bolts make a move to bring in one of those big names, re-signing Fisk as a foundational piece to bolster the depth makes even more sense.