Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II impressed in his debut, Sunday's 23-20 critical Week 3 division victory over the Denver Broncos. Gadsden recorded five receptions for 46 yards. He's earned more work moving forward.
The former Syracuse standout was a healthy inactive for the Chargers' opening two games. Reserve tight end Will Dissly missed Week 3 with a knee injury. Gadsden took full advantage of his opportunity.
Three of Gadsden's catches converted a new set of downs for the Chargers' offense. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert targeted the rookie tight end with confidence. Gadsden's seven targets were tied for third-most offense alongside Ladd McConkey and Omarion Hampton, trailing just Quentin Johnston (11) and Keenan Allen (10). Herbert even targeted him on the first two plays of the game-winning field goal drive, which went for 15 yards.
FEED ORONDE GADSDEN II pic.twitter.com/4M5oyesLoN
— Bolt Beat (@BB_Chargers) September 21, 2025
Gadsden made the most of a limited snap count. He accounted for just 26% of the Chargers' offensive plays on Sunday, notably matching Tyler Conklin's workload (22 snaps apiece). Blocking tight end Tucker Fisk actually led the Chargers in snaps at the position.
Gadsden was utilized as the pass-catching threat. The first-year playmaker ran 15 routes and produced 3.1 yards per route run, according to Next Gen Stats. That was good for the third-highest among qualified tight ends in Week 3. He also finished the week with the third-highest receiving grade (87.9) among tight ends with at least five targets, per Pro Football Focus. Gadsden saw a healthy average depth of target (aDOT) of 8.3 yards. Herbert saw a stellar quarterback rating of 98.6 when targeting him.
Notably, Gadsden matched Conklin's snap count. Conklin didn't see a single passing-game target from Herbert. With Gadsden performing so impressively, there's not much excuse for Dissly to get back involved, either. Head coach Jim Harbaugh will probably continue using his tight ends in specialized roles, but the rookie clearly possesses the most upside in a position room that otherwise leaves something to be desired.
Harbaugh: Oronde Gadsden has earned more playing time.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) September 24, 2025
Gadsden's EPA (Expected Points Added) per play was a positive 0.06, per RBSDM. For comparative purposes, Conklin (-0.82) and Fisk (-0.73) were both in the negatives. Dissly's Week 2 EPA was -0.02. Gadsden has already been the most productive and efficient tight end on the Chargers roster.
Coming out of Syracuse, Gadsden's blocking was mentioned as a weakness that could prevent him from capturing a full-time role. Harbaugh was impressed with his blocking effort in his debut, however. "His blocking was good, too, in a good place to ascend from," Harbaugh said post-game. That effort could help Gadsden unseat Conklin and Dissly.
Gadsden needed to exert patience while awaiting his first opportunity. When it arrived in Week 3, he took full advantage, helping the Chargers improve to an NFL-best 3-0. Gadsden was a difference-maker for Herbert and the offense against the Broncos, and he should see a considerably larger workload moving forward.
