Quentin Johnston’s Week 5 status was one of the big questions hanging over the Chargers as they got ready for Denver, and the timing couldn’t have been worse for a wide receiver group already dealing with chaos.
Johnston entered the week with a chest injury, adding another layer to what has been a rough start. The Chargers were already bracing for life without Ladd McConkey, who is unlikely to play against the Broncos, and rookie Brenen Thompson has already been ruled out. That leaves a battered receiver room in even worse shape for Justin Herbert.
The hope around Johnston was that he would take a major step forward in 2026 after Mike McDaniel arrived to help Herbert’s offense, but that jump has not shown up. Instead, Johnston has regressed, with the same drop problems that have followed him showing up again.
The production tells the story. Through four games, all losses, Johnston has seven catches on 18 targets for 108 yards. And even once he’s back to full strength, he still looks likely to trail McConkey and the fast-rising Tre Harris on the depth chart.
For now, the Chargers are leaning on whatever they can find at the position. Tre Harris is set up as the top wideout, while Marquez Valdes-Scantling and other deep options could be asked to play real snaps in Herbert’s offense.
The depth issue got so thin that the Chargers added Theo Wease to the active roster before the game, opening a spot by moving star offensive tackle Rashawn Slater to injured reserve.
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Bo Nix Has Become The Broncos Biggest Offensive Concern
Bo Nixs uneven start has become one of the more important subplots inside Denvers 3-2 opening, because the Broncos have managed to stay afloat even as the offense has searched for a steadier rhythm. Coming off the injury that ended his previous playoff run, Nix has not looked quite like the same confident quarterback, and the early weeks have shown a version of Denvers offense that has been more hesitant than explosive.
The issue has shown up in more than one way, from Nix pulling back on downfield throws to a ground game that has not given the Broncos the kind of added dimension they had before. Sean Payton has made it clear he wants the quarterback to play with more conviction, and the next stretch figures to say a lot about whether Denver can get Nix back to the aggressive style that once made the offense feel far more dangerous. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Just Turned Bo Nix Into A Bigger Broncos Debate
The Broncos left Week 5 at 3-2 after a strong fourth quarter helped carry them to a win, but the mood around the offense still feels unfinished. Sean Payton has liked enough to keep this group moving in the right direction, yet the conversation around Bo Nix keeps circling back to how much more there is for the passing game to unlock.
Payton wants the rookie quarterback to be more aggressive pushing the ball downfield, and that idea lands right in the middle of the biggest debate around Denvers offense. Nix has shown the ability to keep drives afloat, but his tendency to settle for safer throws has some wondering whether the Broncos can become truly explosive unless he starts testing deeper coverage more often. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Escaped The Chargers But Their Offense Looks Like A Real Problem
Denver escaped with a 23-17 win over the Chargers, and the defense did the heavy lifting from start to finish. The Broncos kept Justin Herbert under control, bottled up Los Angeles on the ground and flipped the game with a turnover sequence that set up short fields and kept Denver in front despite an offense that spent too much of the afternoon going nowhere.
The part that should linger for Sean Payton and the Broncos is how little they did with the chances handed to them. Even after repeatedly getting the ball in favorable territory late, Denver managed only 13 points on four fourth-quarter possessions that began inside the Chargers 40-yard line or at the 41, and there were still multiple three-and-outs mixed into a day that should have looked cleaner. A win is a win, especially in division play, but this one left the feeling that the margin for error on offense is thinner than it ought to be. [Read more 🡒]