The Los Angeles Chargers have struggled with injuries to their offense to begin the 2025 season.
Running backs Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris, along with offensive lineman Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, are all among the notable Chargers to have missed time already. Jim Harbaugh has had to rely more on Justin Herbert's arm to account for the injuries to key figures in his run game -- meaning a trio of solid wide receivers in Quentin Johnston, Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey have seen the ball often.
However, there's also been new face emerging as a go-to weapon for Herbert. In Los Angeles' tight end room, rookie Oronde Gadsden II has slowly been integrated more into the offense, culminating in a 164-yard game and multiple trips to the end zone. The son of a former NFL player, Gadsden has quickly put himself among the league's top tight ends.
What is Gadsden's background? Here's everything to know about the Chargers' first-year tight end.
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Who is Oronde Gadsden II?
Oronde Gadsden II is a rookie tight end for the Chargers. His father, Oronde Gadsden, played in the NFL from 1995-2003 as a wide receiver, primarily as a member of the Miami Dolphins. The elder Gadsden also won a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1995 season, scoring a total of 22 touchdowns in his career.
As for the younger Gadsden, he came up in Florida, being born in Fort Lauderdale and eventually attending American Heritage in Plantation, Florida for head coach Patrick Surtain, a former NFL cornerback and father of star active NFL cornerback Patrick Surtain II.
Initially, Gadsden was a wide receiver -- he now stands at 6-foot-5, 243 pounds. While at American Heritage, he helped his team win two state titles, also playing lacrosse and running track. In college, however, Gadsden eventually morphed into more of a tight end.
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Where did Oronde Gadsden II go to college?
Oronde Gadsden II went to Syracuse, playing for the Orange from 2021-24. As a three-star recruit by 247Sports, he also had offers from Penn State, Kentucky and Georgia Tech.
By his second season, Gadsden became more of a tight end than wide receiver, allowing him to block more and make catches in the middle of the field. That's when he broke out -- in the 2022 season, Gadsden was named First Team All-ACC with 61 receptions for 969 yards and six touchdowns.
After a 2023 season in which he was mostly injured, Gadsden then returned to big numbers in 2024 by totaling 73 receptions for 934 yards and seven touchdowns as a redshirt junior. He set a new single-season Syracuse record in receptions.
Over his career with the Orange, Gadsden set program records for receptions (141) and yards (1,970) by a tight end, not including the 2021 season when he was a wide receiver.
Oronde Gadsden II NFL Draft
After declaring for the draft, then running a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, Gadsden was selected by the Chargers with the 165th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
He joined a tight end room that included multiple veterans, such as Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly. But after a few weeks of his rookie season, Gadsden has emerged from the depth chart as a top weapon for quarterback Justin Herbert.
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Oronde Gadsden II stats
In his rookie season, Gadsden didn't begin to come onto the radar for the Chargers until Week 3, when he posted five catches for 46 yards against the Denver Broncos. After consecutive weeks with under 20 receiving yards, Gadsden's true breakout for L.A. came from Weeks 6-8.
In Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins, Gadsden caught seven passes for 68 yards. The following week, although it was in a loss, Gadsden caught even more attention, posting seven catches for 164 yards and his first NFL touchdown.
Even with most of his work coming in those two games alone, Gadsden's 308 receiving yards trailed only Brock Bowers for the most by a tight end through the first five games of their career since 1971, according to Underdog.
Herbert to Gadsden for a touchdown! #NFL pic.twitter.com/9dUzHUMjGm
— Sports Only (@SportsOnly____) October 19, 2025
By the time the Chargers reached their Week 8 "Thursday Night Football" matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, Gadsden had become a full-blown top target for Herbert.
In the first half of the Week 8 game alone, the rookie posted another five catches for 77 yards and a touchdown.
After 164 yards and a TD last week, rookie Oronde Gadsden is back in the end zone for the @Chargers!
MINvsLAC on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/RAZCq5UpeZ
— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2025
Herbert to Gadsen for 41 yards!
MINvsLAC on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/3TYvSWoEh6
— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2025