Barring a return for veteran receiver Keenan Allen, the Los Angeles Chargers' receiving corps is largely set in stone for 2026.
Both Mike McDaniel and Jim Harbaugh have routinely referred to the team's trio of 'elite' receivers— Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey, and Tre' Harris— this offseason. Beyond those three, there's room for grappling between KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Brenen Thompson, and Derius Davis for a share of the offense. Perhaps Davis gets released before the start of the season, or perhaps Lambert-Smith doesn't take the leap in production many expect for his sophomore campaign.
But by and large, the hierarchy within the receiver room is clear. McConkey will be the primary option out of the slot, while Harris and Johnston will split duties in the intermediate parts of the field and as downfield, explosive-play threats in McDaniel's air attack.
It's obviously not set in stone forever, though. Although Los Angeles picked up Johnston's fifth-year option, which keeps him with the team through 2027, a breakout for Harris this season could easily guarantee Johnston's departure when his contract comes to an end.
Tre' Harris could be a future cornerstone of the Chargers offense— what does that mean for QJ?
Picking up Johnston's fifth-year option was the smart move. Although it will come in at a high price tag— $16.5 million, to be exact— it gives Johnston the space and time to try to buck off many of the inconsistencies that have plagued him to this point in his career. Chargers fans know the drops and the dips in production that have been characteristic of Johnston's tenure in Los Angeles.
But they also know what type of threat he can be when both he and the offense as a whole are clicking. Between Weeks 1 and 4 last season, Johnston amassed 22 receptions for 337 yards and four touchdowns. He was on fire, but injuries and the emergences of Harris and Oronde Gadsden II ultimately led to another underwhelming campaign from the third-year receiver.
Harris, meanwhile, will be looking to take the momentum he built in his rookie season and translate it to a consistent pass-catching role in 2026. He largely got on the field in 2025 as a result of his blocking abilities, but the Chargers see him as a serious speed and YAC threat in the intermediate parts of the field, evidenced by his 43 targets last year.
Both he and Johnston can coexist for now, even though both profile as pure X-receivers in the Chargers offense.
But by the time that Johnston's contract comes to an end, Harris will be preparing to enter the final year of his rookie deal. Because Harris was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chargers will not have a fifth-year option available for the Ole Miss product.
There's a real possibility that Los Angeles must choose between Harris and Johnston after the conclusion of 2027. If Harris is able to take the strides that the coaching staff is lining him up for, it seems like that will be an easy decision— regardless of how Johnston plays over the next two seasons.
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