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Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers reaches for a first down against Eric Wilson #55 of the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter in the game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Oct. 23, 2025. Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had his way on Oct. 23 in a 37–10 win over the Minnesota Vikings, and a rookie tight end only made his job easier.
Herbert went 18-25 for 227 yards and three touchdowns versus one interception, and he rushed for 62 yards on seven carries. The Chargers scored on three of four drives in the first half, minus a missed field goal by kicker Cameron Dicker.
Herbert first connected with rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II on an 8-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, which was only the beginning. Gadsden caught five passes for 77 yards, including a 40-yard connection during the game at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
“As soon as he got here for camp, we knew he was going to be pretty good. He made a ton of plays, picked up the offense really quickly, and found a way to get open. And that’s what he did tonight,” Herbert told reporters afterward. “We’re definitely going to get him the ball as much as we can because good things happen when he gets it.”
Los Angeles drafted Gadsden out of Syracuse in the fifth round of the draft. Gadsden had 143 receptions for 2,000 yards and 14 touchdowns in four seasons with the Orange, which impressed scouts along the way.
As a rookie with the Chargers, Gadsden has 27 catches for 385 yards and two touchdowns, and much of that has come over the past two games. He had nine catches for 164 yards and a touchdown the week before against the Indianapolis Colts.
“The thing that strikes me the most is he plays like he’s been playing in the NFL for 2, 3, 4 years,” Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters afterward. “I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Gadsden have poured that into him. Well coached into him and well parented into Oronde—bodes well for the Chargers.”
The Chargers have enjoyed great tight end play over the years, from Will Frazier and Dave Kocourek in the early years to Antonio Gates in the 2000s. While it will be hard for Gadsden to match Gates’s prowess, Herbert at least has a quality tight end who can make plays in the passing game.
Herbert also made use of numerous other skill players in the win, with a 27-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ladd McConkey and a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tre Harris. McConkey led the team with six catches for 88 yards, and wide receiver Keenan Allen had four catches for 44 yards.
That’s all after a potential rough start when Vikings defensive back Isaiah Rodgers appeared to intercept Herbert and run it back for a touchdown. The replay showed that it wasn’t a catch for Rodgers, and Herbert took advantage with a scoring drive. Herbert also came back from defensive back Joshua Metellus’s pick with another scoring drive.
“It’s just another thing about Justin Herbert that I don’t know how he does it,” Harbaugh said. “It’s nothing but respect. You know, to be able to actually throw an interception and then come back the next drive—that’s the great ones who can do that. The great, great ones. Just measure what they do after something goes bad, after there’s an interception. That’s the worst thing that can really happen to you as a quarterback. And then chart what they do with the next drive, that near interception. That shakes a lot of guys. Not Justin Herbert. Not the great ones.”
Harbaugh said that after the near interception and touchdown drive, “after the interception on the tip, [Herbert] puts together another drive, another scoring drive, and another one after that.”
“It’s incredible,” Harbaugh said.
Herbert also had some help from Chargers running back Kimani Vidal, who rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. The Chargers gashed the Vikings’ defense with 207 yards on the ground overall.
Minnesota couldn’t get anything going with a decimated offensive line as quarterback Carson Wentz took five sacks and went 15-27 for 144 yards and a touchdown versus an interception. The Vikings only mustered 34 yards on the ground as a team despite getting running back Aaron Jones back in the lineup. It was an overall bounce back for the Chargers after a loss to the Colts last week.
“It was a big win for us,” Herbert said. “A big opportunity for us to go correct some of our mistakes. And I thought all three phases did that. ... It was just good to see a Chargers win today.”
Matthew Davis is an experienced, award-winning journalist who has covered major professional and college sports for years. His writing has appeared on Heavy, the Star Tribune, and The Catholic Spirit. He has a degree in mass communication from North Dakota State University.
