The Los Angeles Chargers had momentum during Sunday Night Football, but they also picked up an unwelcome concern. Rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II left the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a left knee injury and was ruled questionable to return, the team announced. Gadsden went down in the third quarter after getting tangled up on a run block, and he walked to the locker room for evaluation. Early reports echoed the Chargers’ update, noting he was undergoing further testing.
Before the injury, Los Angeles leaned on its defense and special teams to set the tone. Khalil Mack delivered Los Angeles’ first points of the night with a first-quarter safety, collapsing the pocket and taking down Aaron Rodgers in the end zone.
Cameron Dicker added a 32-yard field goal, and Justin Herbert found Ladd McConkey for a 15-yard touchdown just before halftime, via the ESPN Box Score. Pittsburgh’s lone first-half points came from a Chris Boswell 59-yard field goal. Those early sequences reflected a game where Los Angeles controlled field position and dictated the tempo while the Steelers searched for rhythm.
The rookie has carved out a key role as a versatile tight end who moves around formations, blocks space, and gives Herbert an underneath outlet. With him sidelined, Los Angeles shifted snaps to maintain its screen game, boot-action packages, and heavier formations. Jim Harbaugh kept rotating personnel to steady the offense without one of its most flexible pieces.
As the game continued, the Chargers tried to hold their edge while the Steelers looked for explosive plays to climb back in. Every drive felt like a momentum swing waiting to happen, and both sides leaned on situational football to keep themselves in it.
What’s next hinges on the medical update. ‘Questionable to return' at least leaves the door open, but the Chargers will await further testing to know how serious Gadsden’s knee issue might be.
