Veteran tight end David Njoku finally has a new home.
Via NFL Network, Njoku has agreed to terms with the Chargers on a one-year deal. It’s reportedly worth “up to” $8 million.
Which means it has a base value below that, with an opportunity to earn the rest through incentives. Without knowing the incentives, it’s impossible to know how easy or hard it will be to get there.
Njoku was the 29th overall pick in the 2017 draft. He had played nine years in Cleveland. He made the Pro Bowl in 2023, with a career-high 81 catches for 882 yards and six touchdowns.
With the 2025 season, Njoku completed a four-year, $54.75 million deal with the Browns.
In L.A., Njoku becomes another weapon in the new-look offense being implemented under coordinator Mike McDaniel. The Chargers currently have four other tight ends on the roster, headlined by Oronde Gadsen, who generated 664 receiving yards as a rookie in 2025.
His protracted stay on the free-agency market makes his signing not count for compensatory draft-pick purposes, for either the Chargers or the Browns.
As quarterback Justin Herbert enters the seventh year of his career, the Chargers continue to hope to unlock a potential that has yet to be fully realized n the form of a single postseason win. Former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has been charged with the task of getting more out of the quarterback about whom head coach Jim Harbaugh constantly raves.
On Friday, McDaniel shared more thoughts on what Herbert could become.
“He has the capability of mastering every tool in the toolbox,” McDaniel said, via Kris Rhim of ESPN. “For him to own the position in a way he never has and ultimately for it to be obvious to everyone around, he’s playing the best football of his career.”
One specific goal is to improve Herbert’s efficiency when throwing the ball quickly.
“Finding a more detailed approach to max out those quick throws in conjunction with all the things that you know he’s capable of doing,” McDaniel said. “Which is extend plays and launch it down the field.”
The effort requires Herbert to be willing to make changes after six seasons of playing a certain way. McDaniel said that, so far, Herbert has been receptive.
“Typically, elite performers don’t like to try new things,” McDaniel said. “He’s really let go, been all in.”
Herbert should be all in. He finished outside the top 10 in passer rating last season. He’s only landed in the top 10 once in his career, when he ranked seventh in 2024 with a passer rating of 101.7.
And Herbert is surely hearing the noise that, despite internal efforts to blame everyone but him for his failure to become what his overall skills suggest he should be, maybe he’s partially responsible for not becoming what he has been expected to be. Maybe, after six seasons in the NFL, he is what he’s going to be: Good, not great.
McDaniel, who coaxed impressive performances from a quarterback in Miami who was drafted one spot before Herbert, has someone who can make things happen when the play extends. If McDaniel can get more out of Herbert with quick reads and quick throws via plays that are schemed to have someone pop open quickly, that could be the key to making Herbert great, not good.
The Chargers announced the signings of five players selected in the 2026 draft.
They now have fourth-round offensive tackle Travis Burke (No. 117), fourth-round safety Genesis Smith (No. 131), fifth-round defensive tackle Nick Barrett (No. 145), sixth-round offensive guard Logan Taylor (No. 202) and sixth-round offensive guard Alex Harkey (No. 206) under contract.
That leaves only first-round linebacker Akheem Mesidor, second-round center Jake Slaughter and fourth-round wide receiver Brenen Thompson unsigned.
The Chargers also waived two players — defensive lineman Josh Fuga and cornerback Jordan Oladokun — and signed 18 undrafted free agents.
The undrafted free agents to sign were Utah State safety Noah Avinger, Utah linebacker Lander Barton, Kansas State tight end Jerand Bradley, Colorado wide receiver Sincere Brown, Virginia defensive lineman Jahmeer Carter, Memphis running back Greg Desrosiers, Syracuse safety Devin Grant, Louisiana State defensive lineman Jacobian Guillory, San Diego State outside linebacker Niles King, Penn State wide receiver Devonte Ross, Georgia Tech cornerback Rodney Shelley, Toledo cornerback Avery Smith, Fresno State center Jacob Spomer, Wyoming tight end Evan Svoboda, Western Michigan outside linebacker Nadame Tucker, Southern Methodist defensive lineman Terry Webb, Florida State cornerback Jeremiah Wilson and Oregon tackle Isaiah World.
The Vikings are not officially announcing their interviews for General Manager, but three more candidates for the role have now been reported.
According to multiple reports, Minnesota has put in an interview request for Titans assistant G.M. Dave Ziegler and 49ers assistant G.M. RJ Gillen. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes the Vikings have also put in a request for Chargers assistant G.M. Chad Alexander.
Of this group, Ziegler has previous G.M. experience, having served in that role for the Raiders in 2022 and 2023. He was fired midway through his second season, along with former head coach Josh McDaniels.
Gillen has spent the last 11 seasons with the 49ers. He was promoted to assistant G.M. last year after serving as director of player personnel for two years.
Alexander has been the Chargers’ assistant G.M. since 2024. He was previously with the Ravens’ personnel department from 1999-2018 before serving as Jets director of player personnel from 2019-2023.
Recently, former NFL defensive end and former ESPN and Fox Sports on-air personality Marcellus Wiley was accused of sexual assault by four individuals. The claims, which were addressed in an item on Awful Announcing, were first reported by Rolling Stone on April 29.
On Tuesday morning, Wiley responded publicly to the new accusations on his YouTube show.
“Pick a date, pick the encounter, pick the allegation,” Wiley said. “For every one of them, I either saw, communicated — through email, text, phone — was invited by these individuals after these dates to engage, to be intimate, or all the above. After the dates that are in question, OK? So this matters. Why does it matter? . . . Because it directly contradicts the narrative that they’re trying to present publicly.”
He posed a simple question to the accusers. “Why did you continue to see or maintain friendly communication at minimum that can be verified — will be verified — with someone that you’re accusing after the alleged incidents?”
Wiley compared his situation to the Stefon Diggs criminal trial, which at the time had not yet ended. (On Tuesday, Diggs was acquitted of strangulation and assault charges.)
Unlike Diggs, Wiley faces accusations from multiple persons. Unlike Diggs, Wiley has not faced criminal charges.
Wiley has vowed to defend his name, especially since his son carries that same name.
“To you, it’s about money,” Wiley said. “To me, it’s about my son’s name that he will one day Google and think that this is about him, but he’s gonna know it’s about his dad. And how dare you stain the brain of my child and his hero.”
Wiley did not address any of the details in the allegations. And that’s smart. Anything he says can be used against him in court by the persons who have made the accusations.
On Tuesday night, Wiley posted on Twitter court documents showing that three prior allegations have been dismissed.
Columbia University also has been named in the new lawsuit, which seeks certification of a class action against Wiley and Columbia. Via Rolling Stone, a hearing regarding potential certification of a class action will be held on May 12.
Wiley will have the right to fully and aggressively defend himself against the allegations. And, again, he has faced no criminal charges at any time in connection with any of the claims.
Where the litigation goes from here remains to be seen. Wiley’s initial response makes it clear that he intends to aggressively fight all of the allegations.
Wiley spent 10 years in the NFL, playing for the Bills, Chargers, Cowboys, and Jaguars. He worked for ESPN through 2018, and he then worked at Fox Sports until 2022.
