Quentin Johnston’s place on the Chargers roster has gone from hopeful project to open question, and the latest chapter only sharpened the concern.
The former 2023 first-round pick, selected by then-general manager Tom Telesco, entered the league with a clear appeal: size, speed and yards-after-catch ability. The problem was always the part wide receivers are judged on first. He had to catch the football, and that has remained the sticking point.
Johnston’s rookie year was defined by drops, including the most infamous one against the Green Bay Packers on third down that would have been a game-winning touchdown. After that season, even optimistic evaluations had him pegged more as a possible No. 2 receiver than the kind of top option teams expect from a first-round pick.
Year two brought real progress. Johnston went from 431 receiving yards to 711 and added eight touchdowns in 2024, enough to make him a Jim Harbaugh favorite.
The drops did not disappear, though. The one that drew the most attention came on Monday Night Primetime against the Baltimore Ravens, when he came up empty on a third-and-6 play early in the fourth quarter with the Chargers trailing 23-16.
The improvement continued in 2025, at least on paper. In one fewer game, Johnston posted 735 yards and another eight touchdowns, showing he could be a weapon in the offense. But the drops were still there, and the production still did not look like what usually comes with a first-round receiver.
That is part of why the Chargers’ decision to pick up his fifth-year option was so closely watched. It keeps him on the roster through the 2027 season, a move that drew plenty of scrutiny but also some support because of the year-over-year growth Johnston had shown and the chance to work under offensive “mastermind” Mike McDaniel.
Instead, the first three games of 2025 have brought another rough stretch. The Chargers are 0-3 after losses to the Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills, and Johnston has just 64 yards on six catches with two drops. The vertical element that once made him intriguing has not shown up, his yards-after-catch impact has not surfaced under McDaniel, and the route-running growth has not carried over.
The latest miss came in the Chargers’ Week 3 loss to Buffalo. On a crucial third-and-nine, Justin Herbert threw Johnston a perfect ball on an out route, and Johnston let it hit his hands before dropping it. He was visibly unhappy on the sideline afterward.
After the game, Johnston sat on the bench with his head down before Tre’ Harris got him up and appeared to try to lift his spirits as the two walked toward midfield to shake hands with the Bills. Johnston also had a drop late in the game on third down.
I’ve been a Johnston believer and defender, with the understanding that he was never going to match the first-round billing that came with him. I saw him as a useful role player who could help this offense.
But he has now had enough time, enough chances and enough evidence. It’s time for everyone involved to look for alternatives.
The Chargers have already invested heavily at receiver in recent years, and Ladd McConkey and Tre Harris are second-round picks who are contributing now. With the team sitting at 0-3, the Chargers could turn their attention to the 2027 receiver class, where Jeremiah Smith, Charlie Becker and Cam Coleman are real prospects who could become NFL weapons.
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