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Oronde Gadsden is so good we're bringing up phrases like 'Mike Ditka' and '1961' now

Originally posted on Los Angeles Chargers on SI
By Chris Roling | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 5:30 AM ET

Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden is turning into one of the biggest steals from this year’s draft class.

Gadsden just put an exclamation point on that idea in Week 8, where he caught five passes for 77 yards and one score during the Chargers’ 37-10 thumping of the Minnesota Vikings.

So…just how good is Gadsden?

The rookie didn’t really start his NFL journey until Week 3 against Denver, where he caught five passes for 46 yards. He then disappeared for a few weeks before catching seven passes for 68 yards in Week 6.

Then, in Week 7, Gadsden had his best game as a pro to date, catching seven passes for 164 yards and a score before the mentioned Week 8 outburst.

As a whole, Gadsden’s sitting on 27 catches on 33 targets with 385 yards and two scores, averaging 14.3 yards per catch.

ESPN’s Kris Rhim illustrated just how wild Gadsden’s last two outings have been:

Tight end Oronde Gadsden II is the first rookie TE since Mike Ditka in 1961 with 240 Rec yds and 2 Rec TD in a 2-game span.
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) October 24, 2025

Keep in mind those outings came within a matter of days thanks to a Thursday night game.

Talk about a fun development for the Chargers after Will Dissly has been a non-factor and Tyler Conklin has been a bust of a free-agent signing.

The Chargers clearly have their tight end of the future for Justin Herbert, who pairs nicely with Ladd McConkey for the long-term, no matter who else they plan to rotate at the wideout spots over the years.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Chargers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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