
TE · Los Angeles Chargers
1 transaction this offseason
Height
6'6"
Weight
265 lbs
Age
27
College
Iowa State
Draft
2022, Rd 4, #128
Experience
4 yrs
TE Rank
#69 / 163
Grade Charlie Kolar
Your grade joins the crowd-sourced Fan Verdict.
On the field, Charlie Kolar grades out as a middling TE for Los Angeles Chargers (C Performance). That places him 69th of 163 graded tight ends. The contract is harder to defend: the Contract Value Index calls it a slight overpay (D+), with the cost outrunning the output. The public read is positive (B+ Sentiment), drawn from current news and social signal rather than the box score.
| Year | Team | GP | Rec | Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | ![]() | 47 | 30 | 409 | 4 |
| 2025 | ![]() | 17 | 10 | 142 | 2 |
| 2024 | ![]() | 13 | 9 | 131 | 1 |
| 2023 | ![]() | 15 |
| Season | Team | GP | Rec | Yds | TD | YPR | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ![]() | 17 | 10 | 142 | 2 | 14.2 | D- D- |
| 2024 | ![]() | 13 | 9 | 131 | 1 | 14.6 | D- D- |
| 2023 | ![]() | 15 | 7 | 87 | 1 | 12.4 | F F |
Grades reflect the player's performance in each season. Header grade shows the current season.
Length
3 years
Total Value
$24.3M
Guaranteed
$17.0M
AAV
$8.1M/yr
Spotrac flags Charlie Kolar's contract as a market-rate deal; FanVerdicts grades it D+ Contract Value Index because the production-to-pay ratio shakes out accordingly. A fourth-year tight end earning $8.1M AAV on a three-year rookie scale deal carries significant expectation for immediate impact, yet Kolar's 2025 season output of 142 receiving yards across 17 games signals a player still searching for consistency and opportunity—production that sits squarely below what his salary tier demands. The tight end market has evolved to reward proven production at the position, and while Kolar's pedigree as a 2022 fourth-round pick remains respectable, his actual on-field output has lagged the narrative around his potential, making this CVI assessment reflect a contract built more on projection than track record. That said, the media framing and sentiment context paint a picture of a low-risk reclamation opportunity in Los Angeles—a team actively investing in their 2026 window with moves across both sides of the ball—where Kolar slots into a rotational tight end role with realistic upside if the scheme provides extended snaps he's lacked elsewhere. The three-year term limits the long-term damage if he doesn't elevate, and at 27 years old on the cusp of what should be his prime seasons, this is functionally his final chance to justify premium tight end economics; whether he capitalizes depends entirely on execution and opportunity.
Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the D band — a quick read on where Charlie's contract sits relative to comparable money.
Snap share and per-play impact line up to a C performance grade for Charlie Kolar. The fourth-year tight end remains a below-average contributor at his position, hamstrung by minimal production that hasn't translated into consistent on-field value despite full availability. His 2025 season output of 142 receiving yards across 17 games underscores the core problem: even when healthy and on the field, Kolar hasn't generated the volume or efficiency expected at the position. The lone bright spot is durability—he appeared in all 17 games, demonstrating reliability from a health standpoint—but that availability has masked, rather than solved, his ongoing production shortfall. What makes the Chargers' $24.3M three-year commitment noteworthy is the media narrative framing it as a change-of-scenery opportunity for a player with untapped potential, not a proven performer cashing in. At 27 and in his fourth professional year, Kolar finds himself at a critical juncture: the optimism surrounding his move to Los Angeles is prospective and conditional on finally translating opportunity into measurable impact. If he can break out in a new system as the sentiment suggests, this deal could look prescient; if he repeats the pattern of limited production, it will stand as a cautionary tale of patience misplaced.
Charlie Kolar ranks 69th of 163 graded tight ends by performance. That slots Charlie between Jake Tonges (C) just ahead and Caden Prieskorn (C) just behind.
Graded higher
Jake TongesSan Francisco 49ersCAdam TrautmanDenver BroncosCTanner HudsonCincinnati BengalsCGraded lower
Caden PrieskornCleveland BrownsCharlie Kolar's arrival in Los Angeles has landed with cautiously optimistic energy across NFL media circles, earning a B+ sentiment grade that reflects genuine interest rather than dismissal. The three-year, $24.3M deal — an $8.1M AAV commitment — has multiple outlets framing this as a legitimate investment in a tight end with untapped potential, not merely depth insurance, with the central media narrative revolving around whether a change of scenery from Baltimore can finally unlock what made Kolar an intriguing prospect coming out of the 2022 draft. That optimism does carry an asterisk, though: his F performance grade makes the goodwill feel prospective rather than earned, and the 142 receiving yards across 17 games in the 2025 season underscore just how limited his production has been to date. Still, the fan reaction skews net positive — the consensus reads this as a low-risk swing on a fourth-year player who simply hasn't had the opportunity to show what he can do at full volume. The broader Chargers offseason activity, which has included signings of Cole Strange, Kimani Vidal, and Trey Lance in recent weeks, paints a picture of a front office actively building toward the 2026 regular season opener 125 days out, and Kolar slots comfortably into that narrative as a rotational contributor with a realistic shot at expanded snaps. The sentiment trajectory — trending up from a B- to a B+ over the past 30 days — suggests the initial skepticism around the contract size has given way to a more measured appreciation for what Kolar could bring in a new system. Right now, the narrative is all upside and patience, which is exactly where a player of his profile needs to be heading into the most important season of his career.
Auto-moderated fan forum with 5-minute speaker turns
Loading discussion...
Charlie Kolar is a player in his 4th NFL season listed at TE for the Los Angeles Chargers. FanVerdicts covers every NFL player, team, GM, and transaction — and puts your verdict on all of it. Sign in to cast your Fan Verdict on Charlie Kolar, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts also brings its own read — performance, sentiment, and Contract Value Index — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Contract Value Index D+, Performance C, Sentiment B+.
The crowd's Fan Verdict moves in real time as fans vote on this profile. FanVerdicts' own read updates as new data lands — performance recalculates when NFL game stats post, sentiment shifts with media coverage and fan discussion, and the Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) behind the Contract Value Index read.
For league-wide context, the NFL hub has team rankings, GM report cards, the transactions feed, and live scoreboards. The NFL player rankings page sorts every active player by performance and contract value within their position.
| 7 |
| 87 |
| 1 |
| 2022 | ![]() | 2 | 4 | 49 | 0 |
Updated Mar 22, 2026
Recent seasons are weighted more heavily in the overall performance grade.
C-
2025
(50% weight)
C-
2024
(30% weight)
D+
2023
(20% weight)
Peers ranked by Performance grade among players at the same position. Tap any name for their full profile.