The Los Angeles Chargers hosted the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night. Jim Harbaugh’s team was on the wrong end of a 41-17 score. There were plenty of starters in the lineup for the Bolts, including a pair of experienced tight ends signed by the club this offseason by Chargers' general manager Joe Hortiz.

Chargers bolstered their tight end room this offseason

Recently, Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus listed each team’s breakout player for the upcoming season. His choice for Harbaugh’s club was one of those offseason additions. While veteran David Njoku is a nine-year veteran and enjoyed a Pro Bowl campaign in 2023, McGuinness’s selection was a four-year pro who comes over from the Baltimore Ravens.

“Tight end Charlie Kolar is coming off a career-high 77.5 PFF grade and has the skill set to be a complete player in the Chargers’ offense. He is unlikely to lead the team’s tight ends in targets, but his 1.70 yards per route run shows that he can still contribute as a receiver.”

Hortiz has built quite the tight end room. A year ago, he added Oronde Gadsden II in the fifth round of the draft and he opened eyes during his rookie season. He finished fourth on the team in catches (49), receiving yards (664), and touchdowns grabs (3)—averaging 13.6 yards per reception. Of course, Njoku has quite the resume as a pass-catcher during his nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns. As for the former Ravens’ tight end, he has a special set of skills.

New Chargers’ TE Charlie Kolar is a blocking fiend

“Kolar’s biggest strength, though,” explained McGuinness, “is his blocking. His 71.5 PFF run-blocking grade ranked 10th among tight ends in 2025, giving the Chargers an effective in-line option who can provide a boost to the running game.”

New Chargers’ offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the tight end depth chart. Gadsden is obviously capable of the big play down field, and Njoku knows his way to the end zone. But don’t count out Kolar in terms of his pass-catching prowess, as McGuinness alluded to.

TE Charlie Kolar could be a bigger factor as a pass catcher with the Bolts

The 6’6”, 265-pound performer totaled only 30 catches for 409 yards and four touchdowns in 47 regular-season contests with the Ravens. However, he comes off his best season as a receiver. In 2025, he was targeted 15 times and totaled 10 receptions for 142 yards and a pair of TDs. All four numbers were career highs.

For the record, Kolar played eight offensive snaps on Thursday against the Niners and caught one pass for nine yards. This past season, Gadsden was the only Chargers’ tight end to catch a touchdown pass. That may indeed change this season thanks to the additions of both Kolar and Njoku.