Quentin Johnston has become the most polarizing player on the LA Chargers. Drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Johnston has not lived up to his potential while fellow late-first-round receivers Jordan Addison and Zay Flowers have thrived.
Johnston took a step in the right direction in his sophomore season but every promising move he made was met with two steps back. Heading into his third year, Chargers fans are done with the handouts and want Johnston to earn every single rep he gets.
Fortunately, that appears to be exactly the approach the Chargers are taking with the former TCU wideout. Chargers beat reporter Daniel Popper recently held a mailbag on The Athletic (subscription required), and provided exactly the answer fans were looking for.
"I do not think the Chargers coaching staff will give Johnston too many chances. The 2023 first-round pick is going to have to earn his chances. That has been the case for every player since Harbaugh took over as head coach," Popper writes. "Johnston will have to perform. Johnston will have to produce. And if he does those things, he will earn a spot on the roster and potentially a starting job."
Quentin Johnston isn't guaranteed a starting job on the Chargers
Popper went on to say that Johnston's path to getting this starting job is going to be much harder in 2025 than in 2024. Johnston started out of necessity in 2024 as the team did not have any other real options to start on the outside.
This year is a completely different story. The Chargers drafted Tre Harris in the second round and re-signed veteran Mike Williams, who should improve in 2025 after a slow season post-ACL surgery.
Williams is the prototypical X receiver who can fill the void Johnston was sometimes forced to play for the Chargers last season. Harris can also play X receiver, but also has the potential to play Z receiver, which kicks Johnston outside the top three on the depth chart.
Johnston may not just get kicked out of the starting lineup, he could tumble even further down the depth chart. KeAndre Lambert-Smith, or any backend wide receiver for that matter, is a threat to usurp Johnston on the depth chart.
It's really a win-win situation for the Chargers... as long as everything goes as planned. If Johnston does play as much as last season it means he took a step in the right direction and is finally producing more like a first-round pick.
And if not, the Chargers have other wideouts who can absorb the snap counts that QJ would have played. That was not the case last season.