The Los Angeles Chargers on on Friday signed tight end Hayden Hurst.
Here are five things to know about Hurst:
1. A season in Carolina
The Chargers added another veteran tight end to the room in Hurst.
Hurst joins the Bolts with six seasons of NFL experience, most recently spending a season with the Panthers in 2023. He played in nine games (eight starts) and caught 18 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown.
2. Former 1st-round pick
Hurst enters the building with some familiarity to people on the Bolts staff, starting with General Manager Joe Hortiz.
Hortiz served as the Director of College Scouting in Baltimore when they took Hurst with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, making him the first tight end selected that year.
Hurst would go on to play his first two pro seasons for the Ravens under now-Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman's tight ends, adding another connection to his arrival in LA.
Under Roman, Hurst would finish with his two highest yards per reception marks of his career, 12.5 and 11.6, respectively.
The Los Angeles Chargers today signed tight end Hayden Hurst.
3. Other stops
Aside from Baltimore and Carolina, the veteran tight end spent some time in Atlanta and Cincinnati.
Hurst was traded to the Falcons during the 2020 offseason and had arguably his best season as a pro to this point.
The tight end caught 56 passes for 571 yards and six touchdowns — all career-highs. He would play another season in Atlanta before moving on to his lone season with the Bengals.
He would become the Bengals' lead tight end, leading the position with 414 yards on 52 catches and provide in the team's run to the AFC Championship Game that season, finishing with the third-most playoff receiving yards (141) on the team.
4. MLB Draft selection
Football wasn't Hurst's first professional sport.
After playing football and baseball at a high level in high school, Hurst was pursued by universities to continue his pitching career at the collegiate level.
But Hurst opted for a different route — Major League Baseball.
Hurst was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 17th round of the 2012 MLB Draft and signed to the team straight out of high school.
He would play two seasons in the organization before walking on to the South Carolina football team in 2015.
5. First-Team All-SEC
It didn't take long for the tight end to become a force at South Carolina.
Hurst would see limited action as a true freshman in 2015 but would go on put up some numbers in his final two years with the Gamecocks.
His best season would come in 2017 where he caught 44 passes for 559 yards and three total touchdowns on his way to earning a First-Team All-SEC selection. Hurst would also finish as a semifinalist for the Mackey Award, which recognizes the nation's best tight end.
Hurst finished his South Carolina career second among tight ends for career receiving yards with 1,281 in three seasons.