David Njoku signs with the Los Angeles Chargers on a one-year deal

Veteran tight end David Njoku has agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.

He visited the Bolts earlier this month after going unsigned in the initial wave of free agency following nine years of mixed production with the Cleveland Browns.

Njoku: Uneven production in Cleveland

Njoku arrived in the NFL with huge expectations after playing a starring role for Miami in 2016.

The 2017 first-round pick endured a slow start to his career before enjoying a Pro Bowl year in 2023 with 882 yards and six touchdowns.

Hamstring, knee and ankle injuries cost him 11 games over the next two years, and Njoku watched on as rookie Harold Fannin Jr. emerged as the Browns' leading tight end in 2025.

Jason Miller / Stringer

What Njoku offers the Chargers

Despite his talent, Njoku may not be assured of a featured role in the Bolts' offense, with second-year phenom Oronde Gadsden II and blocking specialist Charlie Kolar already on the roster.

However, with 15 touchdowns in his last 39 games, he has the size and athleticism to pose a dangerous threat in the red zone for quarterback Justin Herbert.

And with a young group of pass-catchers, the Chargers should benefit from his veteran experience and locker-room leadership.

Mike McDaniel, entering his first year as the Chargers' offensive coordinator, has another toy to play with, and it's one that could prove to be a difference-maker.

It's highly unlikely that Njoku will be enough to help Herbert reach MVP level, as one former player tipped the Bolts' gunslinger for last week, but he's another piece that makes the Chargers' offense harder to ignore.