Welcome to Part 5 of our 2024 positional recaps, a series that will run through the next few weeks and highlight 11 Chargers position groups. We'll focus on key stats, memorable moments and look to what lies ahead in 2025.
Will Dissly emerged as a big piece for the Chargers offense in Year 1 with the team after being signed in free agency mainly because of his blocking prowess.
While he ended up being a key contributor as a blocker, he also became a target in the pass game.
Dissly finished the year with the fourth-most receiving yards (481) and third-most receptions (50) on the Bolts, both career-high marks for him.
The 28-year-old held his own as a blocker as well, finishing 12th in Pro Football Focus' pass blocking (72.2) among players with at least 200 blocking snaps.
"We ask him to catch passes, to run block, to pass block and he's able to do everything," quarterback Justin Herbert said about Dissly during the season.
Dissly spearheaded a group that saw some change as the season went on.
Brought in as a free agent, Hayden Hurst saw some action but struggled with injuries throughout the season and ultimately played in nine games. Eric Tomlinson, who finished the season on the Bolts practice squad, also saw some action in 2024.
Tucker Fisk saw his role expand in the back half of the season, as he thrived mainly as a blocker, finishing in the top 15 in both PFF's pass and run blocking grades among tight ends with at least 100 blocking snaps.
But arguably the biggest boost the Chargers saw from the group came from Stone Smartt, who came on strong late in the season.
Smartt closed the season strong with 164 receiving yards in a stretch from Week 14 to Week 17.
The former college quarterback turned tight end set career-best marks in his third NFL season, and his progress showed late in the year.
"I put great stuff on tape this year," Smartt said during locker room cleanout. "I was happy with my performance and I'm still making strides.
"My biggest thing is getting better each year that I'm in the league and I feel like I did that this year," Smartt added. "Just going to attack it day by day."
Notable Number
Not known for his yards after the catch ability, Dissly turned into a threat when the ball was in his hands this year.
The veteran tight end amassed 313 yards after the catch this season, good for 10th most among tight ends during the regular season according to Next Gen Stats. The figure surpassed his previous career high of 190 yards after the catch in 2022.
His 6.26 yards after the catch per reception average ranked as the third highest among his position as well.
Memorable Moment
The biggest moment of the season for the tight ends came in one of the biggest games of the year on Sunday Night Football.
In a matchup between AFC playoff contenders, the Chargers were looking to break through against the Bengals late in the first quarter.
It wasn't until Herbert unleashed a ball down the seam to a streaking Dissly, who hauled in a 29-yard touchdown for his longest play of the season.
"It was just one of those plays that you see the coverage, you see him open and you do everything you can to get the ball down there… He came up with a great catch, way to keep rolling into the end zone," Herbert said about Dissly's touchdown. "It was really good to see from him."
The catch was one of three catches of over 20 yards on the night for the veteran as he finished the day with 81 yards receiving, his second-highest total of the season.
And it helped the Bolts put together 34 points in the Week 11 win that would turn out to be a crucial outcome for the rest of the season.
Regular-Season Stats
Will Dissly
Recorded 50 catches for 481 yards (9.6 average) and two touchdowns on 64 targets; played in 15 games (eight starts) and played 540 offensive snaps (50.6 percent)
Stone Smartt
Recorded 16 catches for 208 yards (13.0 average) on 19 targets; played in 15 games (two starts) and played 181 offensive snaps (16.96 percent)
Tucker Fisk
Recorded seven catches for 39 yards (5.6 average) on eight targets; played in nine games (five starts) and played 206 offensive snaps (19.3 percent)
Hayden Hurst
Recorded eight catches for 78 yards (9.1 average) on 13 targets; played in nine games (two starts) and played 174 offensive snaps (16.3 percent)
Eric Tomlinson
Recorded two catches for 9 yards (4.5 average) on four targets; played in nine games (one start) and played 133 offensive snaps (12.5 percent)
1 Question for 2025
Do the Chargers draft a tight end?
This position is one to keep an eye on heading into the offseason.
Three out of the four tight ends that ended the season on the Chargers active roster are slated to be free agents of some sort — Hurst is an unrestricted free agent, Smartt is a restricted free agent and Fisk is an exclusive rights free agent.
This means the Bolts will have to make some decisions once free agency comes around in March.
Regardless of what the team decides to do in free agency the option of drafting a tight end is a prospect exists. In fact, it's a popular pick among pundits three months ahead of the draft.
In the most recent Mock Draft Tracker released earlier in the week, the position was a popular one as four out of the 15 analysts had the Bolts taking a tight end with their first-round pick.
Adding a young tight end to the mix to the offense certainly makes sense on a few levels, as he could give another dynamic weapon for Herbert. It could also give the Bolts some added long-term depth, as Dissly is the only one at his position under contract past next season.
Nonetheless, we'll have to see how free agency and the roster both shake out in the coming months before heading into the draft in Green Bay.
