While there was a lot of speculation that the San Francisco 49ers would try to add a tight end in the offseason so they had a little insurance for George Kittle as he recovered from a major injury, they opted not to do so and were content to bring back Jake Tonges and sign undrafted free agent Khalil Dinkins.
The Los Angeles Chargers quietly added someone who would have been a nice fit in San Francisco by signing veteran David Njoku back in May. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel should have fun with him in the offense.
Njoku has spent his whole career with the Cleveland Browns, and he’s put up some good numbers. He made the Pro Bowl back in 2023 and had 882 receiving yards that year, plus six touchdowns. Over his nine-year NFL career, he has over 4,000 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns.
His last two seasons in Cleveland were marred by injury as he played in 12 games in 2024, and then 11 last season, but the former first-round draft pick has generally stayed on the field throughout his career.
The Chargers signed Njoku for $8 million, which is a little expensive, but the 49ers definitely could have afforded that if they wanted to make sure they had a solid backup plan for Kittle.
McDaniel got a decent amount out of Darren Waller last season in Miami, as he had six touchdown catches in nine games, so the Bolts' new coordinator is able to utilize tight ends quite well. Njoku should be a nice weapon for quarterback Justin Herbert, too.
Probably a big part of the reason why the Niners didn’t go out and get a more high-profile stand-in for Kittle is because of how he’s progressed from his Achilles tear. He has had a remarkable recovery, and there even seems to be a chance he could play Week 1 in Australia, which would just be an insane turnaround, especially when it seemed like Kittle might miss most of the 2026 season when he first went down.
There’s still a case to be made the Niners should have brought in a more proven backup no matter what. Kittle is age 32 after all, and he dealt with a hamstring issue early last season, so it wouldn’t shock anyone if he missed some time.
Still, he’s the best tight end in the game, so if he’s able to come back and he’s his usual self, then no one will be upset the Niners didn’t get a better insurance policy.
But if Kittle is banged up and Njoku proceeds to go off for the Chargers, then there will definitely be some regret that McDaniel and head coach Jim Harbaugh signed him instead.
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