The old LA Chargers regime liked Zion Johnson enough to draft him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The current Chargers regime does not have the same level of trust in the former No. 17 pick, as the team officially declined Johnson's fifth-year option.
The Chargers brought the decision on Johnson's future to the 11th hour as general manager Joe Hortiz was publicly non-committal after the draft. It wasn't hard to read the tea leaves at the time, as Hortiz's non-answer was essentially him kicking the can down the road on a tough decision.
It isn't just that Hortiz wasn't part of the regime that drafted Hortiz three years ago; those who have watched Johnson closely knew this decision was coming, dating back to the 2024 regular season. He simply has not played like a first-round pick, making the fifth-year option decision rather straightforward.
Chargers unsurprisingly decline Zion Johnson's fifth-year option
The Chargers would have paid Johnson an estimated $17.565 million in 2026 if the team picked up his fifth-year rookie option. That value would have been the fourth-highest yearly value for a left guard in the NFL, although there are obvious differences between a one-year deal and a multi-year deal.
But even when comparing that potential value to Johnson's teammates the value is absurd. Mekhi Becton signed a two-year, $19.8 million contract with the Chargers after a breakout season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.
There is no world in which Johnson is worth nearly as much in one season as Becton is going to receive in two. In fact, the case can be made that Johnson isn't worth half of Becton's contract value on a one-year deal.
It is now on Johnson to earn a new deal with the Chargers in 2025. The Chargers have flirted with the idea of moving Johnson to center but it seems unlikely after signing Andre James. Whether it comes at left guard or center, Johnson needs to improve his level of play if he is going to stick around on the Chargers past 2025.
Heck, Johnson may need to improve his play to secure a starting job in the NFL in 2026. If Johnson doesn't turn a corner, and the team that drafted him has no interest, there may not be any interest in making him a starter throughout the league.
Time will tell. The Chargers have officially made 2025 a make-or-break season for the Boston College product.