Unexpected Quentin Johnston trade rumors have served as the sleeper storyline for the LA Chargers offseason thus far. While there hasn't been a concrete report that the Bolts are outwardly shopping Johnston, it has been speculated by those who are plugged into the league.
Even though the logic of trading Johnston makes sense, it seemed highly unlikely the Chargers would ever make a deal. After all, it didn't seem like the Chargers would get much of anything for Johnston in a trade, making a deal rather pointless for the Bolts.
Well, that might not actually be the case. Even though he's been an imperfect NFL wide receiver, the league just showed the Chargers that Johnston has legitimate trade value. The Philadelphia Eagles traded a 2026 fifth and 2027 sixth-round pick to the Green Bay Packers for a wideout worse than Johnston, Dontayvion Wicks.
If Wicks gets a fifth and sixth-round pick, perhaps Johnston gets more than anyone could have expected.
Eagles' Dontayvion Wicks trade could ignite the Chargers' Quentin Johnston trade market
The Eagles didn't just trade draft capital for Wicks, they signed him to a one-year, $12.5 million extension. Philadelphia clearly values a wide receiver who has been far less productive than Johnston in recent years.
Wicks, who was taken in the fifth round of the same 2023 NFL Draft that Johnston was drafted in, has 108 catches for 1,328 yards and 11 touchdowns. Johnston, in that same timeframe, has 144 catches for 1,877 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Not only are Johnston's numbers better, but he's also trending in the right direction. Johnston's receptions and yards have gone up every year while maintaining eight-touchdown seasons in back-to-back years. Wicks' receptions and yards have gone down. He has fewer touchdowns over the last two seasons than Johnston had last year.
Johnston is undoubtedly more valuable than Wicks. So if Wicks can get a fifth and sixth, it's totally fair game to suggest Johnston can get at least a fourth and a fifth. It might go beyond that, too. If the wide receiver market shakes out a certain way in the 2026 NFL Draft, Johnston could yield as high as a third-round pick based on this comparative calculus.
Would that be enough to behoove the Chargers? Perhaps. After all, Ladd McConkey is still the best receiver on the team and Tre' Harris is ready to take a leap, replacing Johnston's production. The Bolts can also replace Johnston in the short term by bringing back Keenan Allen, or even taking a swing at Tyreek Hill (although that might not be a smart choice).
Is the receiver room really that much worse without Johnston if they just replace him with Allen while giving Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith a bigger role? Probably not.
It still should take the right trade package for the Chargers to consider a deal. Giving away Johnston for free is bad business. However, based on the surprising Wicks trade return, the right trade package may be out there after all.