Of all the moves the Los Angeles Chargers have made this offseason, the signing of blocking tight end Charlie Kolar from the Baltimore Ravens has the potential to be the most impactful.
Of course, adding Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange to the interior should represent a massive upgrade over the production of both Bradley Bozeman and Mekhi Becton, and their addition of Alec Ingold has a real chance to solidify the Chargers' run game in the context of Mike McDaniel's scheme.
But Kolar's athletic blocking abilities— combined with his underrated pass-catching skill-set— could line him up for a role he likely couldn't even have imagined during his time in Baltimore. No matter how the Chargers choose to dole out snaps between their tight end trio of Kolar, Oronde Gadsden II, and David Njoku, Kolar should have a major role to play in the Los Angeles offense.
But The Athletic's Ted Nguyen, in his recent piece on five potential breakout offenses for this upcoming season, prognosticated an even bigger role for Kolar. There's a world, depending on McDaniel's vision, where Kolar is the bona-fide starter in the offense and Gadsden and Njoku are tasked with rotating in for pass-catching opportunitites.
"Although tight end Oronde Gadsden II displayed explosive ability as a receiver as a rookie, don’t be surprised if Kolar is the starter while Gadsden rotates in on passing situations or multiple tight end sets. The Chargers also signed David Njoku and can line up in three-tight-end sets, which is the latest offensive trend." Ted Nguyen, The Athletic
Charlie Kolar has a chance to play a massive role in the Chargers offense in 2026
Coming into the league, Kolar was, contrary to popular belief, more than just a blocking tight end. During his senior season at Iowa State, Kolar caught 62 passes for 756 yards and six touchdowns. But when he entered the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, he was quickly type-casted as a primary blocking tight end behind Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, whom Baltimore also grabbed in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Ultimately, that role worked wonders for Kolar. He signed a three-year, $24.3 million deal with the Chargers this offseason largely based on the strength of that skill-set alone. But during his time with the Ravens, his role was limited.
Kolar didn't see greater than a 30% share of Baltimore's offensive snaps until 2025, and even then he only saw 15 targets in the regular course of the offense.
There's no guarantee that Kolar's used as a pass-catcher in any sense of the word with Los Angeles. But in McDaniel's scheme, the outside-zone run will be the basis of everything the team attempts to accomplish on offense. With Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell in the fold, the Chargers have the personnel to make that play, and stretching the field through the threat of their explosive backs, their bread-and-butter.
Kolar will be responsible for helping set the edge and taking the play to the strong side when Hampton and Mitchell are employed in that fashion. Njoku is a solid blocker, and he took on more of that role last season with the Cleveland Browns in light of the emergence of Harold Fannin Jr. But Gadsden, though, has very little upside as a run blocker.
If the Chargers want to dial up their offense primarily through the run, therefore, Nguyen's prediction isn't entirely out of left field. If Kolar's snap share sees a massive increase in 2026 under McDaniel, the logic behind the role change will be clear.
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