After bursting out of the gates to open the 2025 season, Quentin Johnston looked every bit like the breakout star the Chargers were hoping for. In his first four games, the second-year wideout was a consistent threat, topping 70 receiving yards in each contest and finding the end zone four times. He was fast, physical, and playing with confidence - a perfect fit for a Los Angeles offense that needed a reliable outside option.
But since that hot start, the production has cooled. Significantly.
In the games that followed, Johnston hasn’t cracked 53 receiving yards once. He’s added just three touchdowns in that span, and the explosive plays that defined his early-season success have been few and far between. Whether it’s been a lack of targets, inconsistent quarterback play, or simply a case of a young receiver still finding his rhythm, the drop-off has been noticeable.
That trend continued in Week 14 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Johnston was active and in uniform, but his impact was minimal early on.
He drew a target on the Chargers’ opening drive - the only wide receiver to do so - but couldn’t come down with the catch. The rest of the drive leaned heavily on the running backs, a sign of how the game plan may be shifting away from a passing attack that’s struggled to find its footing.
For Johnston, it’s become a bit of a guessing game. Some weeks, he flashes the tools that made him a first-round pick.
Other weeks, he’s barely a blip on the box score. The talent is clearly there - you don’t start a season with four straight games of 70+ yards by accident - but the consistency hasn’t followed.
The Chargers still believe in Johnston’s upside, and with several games left in the regular season, there’s time for him to reassert himself. But for now, the story of his sophomore campaign is one of early promise followed by a frustrating fade.
Whether he can flip the script down the stretch remains one of the more intriguing questions for a Chargers team still searching for answers on offense.