The Chargers fell to 0-2 on Sunday. Their offense was once again a sore spot, and the unit suffered multiple injuries along the way.
David Njoku was carted off the field and did not return. Fellow tight end Charlie Kolar was also injured in Week 2, with ESPN’s Kris Rhim noting his arm was in a sling after the game. Both players are now in line for a notable absence.
Njoku and Kolar are heading to injured reserve, head coach Jim Harbaugh said on Monday (via Rhim). Njoku injured his fibula, while Kolar hurt his forearm. With both of them out of the picture for at least the next four games, Los Angeles’ active roster contains only one tight end (Oronde Gadsden) for the time being.
The Bolts made a number of changes on offense this offseason. The hiring of Mike McDaniel as OC was the most discussed of those moves, but the tight end spot saw a significant overhaul as well. Kolar landed a three-year pact in free agency featuring $17MM in guarantees despite having made just 30 catches in his first four NFL seasons. The former Raven has managed three scoreless receptions to date on his new team.
Njoku remained on the open market after the draft, but in May he agreed to a one-year deal with Los Angeles. The former Browns Pro Bowler has served as a starter for much of his career, but prior to his injury he logged a snap share of just 33%. Kolar, by contrast, played a career-high 59% of offensive plays before going down yesterday. An increased workload relative to his rookie contract was expected in Kolar’s case, and his absence in particular will be acutely felt. Needless to say, one or more TE additions should be forthcoming for the Bolts.
In other injury news, Harbaugh added (via Rhim) that left guard Kayode Awosika and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson are set to miss time as well. Awosika injured his fibula yesterday, while Tomlinson is dealing with a hamstring issue. The fact that missed time is expected could open the door to an IR stint, but it remains to be seen if Los Angeles will take that route in either case. Bringing Kolar and Njoku back into the fold would use up two of the team’s eight IR activations for the regular season.
The Chargers reached the playoffs in each of their first two years with Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz at the helm. Things have certainly not gone according to plan so far in 2026, though, with a 26-14 loss against the Cardinals being followed up by a defeat to the Raiders by the same score. As the team seeks a rebound moving forward, the tight end position will be among those featuring significant absences.
