The Los Angeles Chargers' signing of David Njoku in the later portions of the offseason couldn't have been more perfect.
Even with the addition of Charlie Kolar early in free agency, the departures of Tucker Fisk and Will Dissly left Los Angeles in need of a bona-fide blocking and pass-catching tight end to pair with Kolar and second-year playmaker Oronde Gadsden II. As much as Gadsden showed as a pass catcher during his rookie season, there's a lot left to be desired in terms of blocking.
Bringing Njoku in on a one-year, $3 million deal represented the perfect middle ground between those two players. Njoku has the size to serve as an in-line blocker when necessary, but we're only a couple years removed from his last major campaign in terms of production through the air. With Harold Fannin Jr. cementing himself as the Cleveland Browns' TE1, Njoku needed an opportunity to prove himself.
The Chargers decided to grant him that this season, and Njoku has already started to justify that decision with his Week 1 performance.
We'll need to see how the snap-share plays out in the TE room over the course of the season. But if Njoku is looking to garner interest on the market next offseason beyond simply the 'prove-it' deal he got with Los Angeles, he's already off to a quietly perfect start.
David Njoku will be a key weapon for the Chargers over the course of 2026
Last season wasn't necessarily an inspiring one on Njoku's part. He totaled just 33 receptions for 293 yards and four touchdowns as Fannin steadily took on a larger snap share. Over the course of the campaign, Njoku was asked to take on more of a blocking role than had been required of him at any point in his career.
Of course he acquiesced, but it's clear that Njoku has his sights set higher as he enters his 10th NFL season.
In Week 1, he kept pace with TE1 Kolar at 30 snaps apiece, but he outpaced Kolar both in terms of receptions and overall share of the offense. Njoku finished the Week 1 matchup with five receptions for 58 yards, serving as the Chargers' primary pass catcher behind Ladd McConkey.
This likely won't be the balance for the duration of the season. The Chargers are looking to unlock some of Kolar's upside as a pass catcher that largely went ignored during his time with the Baltimore Ravens. Kolar caught 62 passes for 756 yards and six touchdowns in his final season at Iowa State, but he was somewhat pigeonholed as a blocking tight end behind Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely over his first few NFL seasons.
It's also likely that we'll see some more 'big slot' opportunities for Gadsden as the season wears on. The second-year tight end saw just 10 snaps in Week 1, and Los Angeles needs to identify its true explosive-play threats over the coming weeks.
But the Chargers offense ran 12 personnel at a rate of just 17.65% in Week 1—the 11th-lowest in the league, per Sumer Sports. Given the talent and mix of skill sets Los Angeles has in that room, it's likely we'll see that number start to ramp up over the coming weeks, granting additional opportunities to both Njoku and Gadsden in terms of snap share.
The Chargers' signing of Njoku was likely never going to be more than a one-year marriage of convenience. But if the veteran tight end can continue to carve out a significant share of this offense, he'll certainly be setting himself up well to earn a larger payday next offseason.
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