For once, the Los Angeles Chargers can't really blame Quentin Johnston for his lack of production in a pivotal game.
Granted, walking into the Week 1 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, it didn't seem like a tough bout was ahead of the team. Mike McDaniel should've been able to make quick work of Arizona's lackluster secondary and run defense, leveraging the weapons we've heard about all offseason.
But as the offense started to flounder in the second half and it became clear the unit wouldn't be able to find its footing in time to avoid starting the season 0-1, there was certainly room to wish for more production of the Chargers' WR2 and WR3—Johnston and Tre' Harris.
The opportunities, though, simply weren't there. While Ladd McConkey started the game with an awe-inspiring stretch of explosive plays, the Chargers finished the day with just 17 completed passes and 187 yards gained through the air. The bulk of those went to McConkey as Johnston, Harris, and the rest of the Chargers' threats struggled to get open consistently downfield.
Now Los Angeles must face a potential absence for McConkey in their Week 2 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, something which their decision to sign Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the practice squad indicates is a real possibility. Even if that's not the case, though, Los Angeles needs to maximize Johnston if they want their offense to come together before the most difficult stretch of their schedule kicks off.
Quentin Johnston needs to get going before the Chargers enter their gauntlet of Week 3 through 10
Of course, we knew McConkey would be the key cog of this offense after the departure of Keenan Allen. He has the speed and the catch-point abilities to be a perfect weapon for McDaniel out of the slot, and he has enough alignment versatility to be used wherever and however the new offensive coordinator sees fit. That played out on Sunday, as McConkey totaled five receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown.
We also heard all offseason about the faith that McDaniel had in Johnston to let go of some of the inconsistencies that have plagued his game to this point in his career. On an organizational level, Los Angeles picked up his fifth-year option, which will cost them a hefty $16.5 million in 2027. But even on the level of the coaching staff, it was made clear that Johnston would be a major downfield threat to help balance this offensive attack as soon as this season.
This offense, in fact, isn't quite as potent without Johnston firing on all cylinders. McDaniel's passing game requires, at the very least, the threat of the deep ball. Think of the role that Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill played during their Miami days. When they weren't catching explosive passes, they were at the very least keeping the defense honest with their downfield speed, opening up opportunities underneath for the team's complementary receivers.
The hierarchy in Los Angeles is reversed in terms of target share, but Johnston still needs to fill that sort of role.
Two targets for 17 yards—Johnston's final statline against Arizona—simply isn't good enough. Of course, this was heavily influenced by the flow of the offense as a whole, and Justin Herbert simply misdialed or made poor decisions on a number of the deep balls the Chargers did try to put through the Cardinals defense.
The Raiders' secondary, thankfully, presents another chance to get Johnston off to a hot start. With three rookies in the rotation and some uncertainty surrounding their defensive gameplan, Johnston should have his chances to create separation in the deeper parts of the field.
We've seen him come out of the gates blazing before, posting 22 receptions for 337 yards and four touchdowns over his first four games last season. If that's possible in a Greg Roman offense, it should be possible with McDaniel calling the shots.
But before they enter their series of matchups against some of the league's toughest defenses, they need their receiving corps firing on all cylinders. Even if McConkey is back for Week 2, that onus falls upon Johnston, and it falls upon McDaniel to provide him with those opportunities.
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