Jim Harbaugh loves a certain type of player. Tough. Smart. The kind of guy who’d rather pancake a linebacker than celebrate a catch. That’s Charlie Kolar. And that’s why the Chargers made him a priority signing in free agency.
The former Ravens tight end signed a three-year, $24.3 million deal with Los Angeles. On paper, it’s a lot for a guy who has never caught more than 10 passes in a season. But Daniel Popper of The Athletic thinks 2026 is the year Kolar breaks out as a receiver.
Kolar was buried behind Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely in Baltimore. Great run blocker. Good enough hands. He just never got the targets. With the Chargers, that changes. Justin Herbert is throwing to him now, and the opportunities should be there.
Popper put it plainly: Kolar’s career high in receiving yards is 142. He’s poised to blow past that in 2026.
Now, Kolar isn’t the top receiving tight end on the depth chart. That’s David Njoku, with Oronde Gadsden II also in the mix. But in run and pass blocking situations, Kolar is the guy. He’s the primary inline tight end, the one who sets the edge and opens lanes. That’s where his value really shines.
The Chargers already have one of the best offensive lines in football. All-Pro tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are both back. Add Alec Ingold, the elite fullback who followed Mike McDaniel to LA, and you’ve got a blocking unit that could be downright scary. Kolar fits right into that identity.
The real question is how McDaniel mixes things up. If Kolar is on the field for obvious run plays every time, defenses will key in. But if McDaniel can disguise it — slip Kolar out on a play-action or keep him in to block on a downfield shot — the Chargers could have something special.
Critics have knocked the Chargers for not spending bigger this offseason. But this signing? It’s the kind of move that doesn’t get headlines in March but pays off in December. Kolar is a Harbaugh guy through and through. And sometimes those are the guys who win you games.
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