Chargers rave as Gadsden’s breakout continues

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — After he shook Vikings safety Joshua Metellus for an 8-yard touchdown in the first quarter of the Chargers’ 37-10 win Thursday night, rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II celebrated by yelling in Metellus’ face, which prompted an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

For a team that had racked up penalties in recent weeks, it would seem this would be a point of frustration for teammates and coaches. But on this night, that didn’t seem to matter.

This was L.A.’s newest star letting the football world know he had arrived.

«He’s just super talented,» Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. «The thing that strikes me the most is he plays like he’s been playing in the NFL for two, three, four years. He seems like a four-year, five-year player to me.»

Justin Herbert said. «He made a ton of plays, picked up the offense really quickly and just found a way to get open, and that’s what he did tonight. And we’re definitely going to get him the ball as much as we can because good things happen when he gets it.»

In recent years, the Chargers have struggled to find consistent production at tight end. They found a reliable blocking tight end last season in Will Dissly but didn’t have a pass-catching threat.

The Chargers drafted Gadsden — a 6-foot-5, 250-pound wide receiver turned tight end whose father, Oronde Gadsden, played six years for the Miami Dolphins — out of Syracuse in the fifth round, hoping he could be a difference-maker. In training camp, Gadsden showed flashes of what he has done so far this season but was inactive for the first two games — a point that coaches noticed frustrated him, which they liked.

«I go back to this guy’s approach, what he’s made of, how he approaches every single day,» offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. «Just trying to get better, highly competitive, highly detailed, wants to round out his game as much as possible.»

Gadsden said he grew up dreaming about performances like the ones he put together the past two weeks. Although his emergence was a bit delayed, Gadsden is on pace to become a consistent impact player in this offense.

«It doesn’t matter,» Gadsden said. «You just got to do the most with the opportunity that you get.»