Ahead of the 2024 NFL season, the Los Angeles Chargers opted to part ways with veteran wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, thus putting a lot of pressure on second-round rookie Ladd McConkey to step up and contribute immediately.
And the former Georgia Bulldog did just that, setting new franchise rookie records now formerly held by Allen for receptions (82) and receiving yards (1,149), the latter ranking 10th among all wideouts last season. Of that top 10, however, McConkey ranked third in yards per reception at 14.0, trailing only Justin Jefferson (14.9) of the Minnesota Vikings and fellow rookie Brian Thomas (14.7) of the Jacksonville Jaguars (14.7).
It's still a bit of a mystery how he only finished ninth in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, but that's neither here nor there.
Naturally, more of the same will be expected of the 23-year-old in his second season. And in a statement McConkey made after a recent practice that should absolutely terrify the rest of the league, he made it crystal clear that he's up for the challenge.
"Last year, (I was) trying to figure it out, whether it’s the plays, decisions on your routes, whatever it is,” McConkey said. “Now I have a year under my belt. I know what they’re expecting for me, a little bit more of what Justin (Herbert) expects. So I feel like just being on the same page and just being able to play fast and more free, I think that’s probably the biggest change in my game."
Ladd McConkey may reach a new level for the Chargers in 2025
McConkey missed a couple of weeks of training camp with a leg injury, but he's been back at practice for roughly a week and a half now and has looked fantastic, making big play after big play in both seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills.
From an overall standpoint, the Chargers' receiving room is far stronger than it was a season ago. Quentin Johnston is still a question mark at this point, but Keenan Allen is back in the mix, and rookie Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith have both been impressive thus far, at least for the most part.
The overall upgrade creates several issues for opposing defenses. Given all the options Herbert will have, teams will have to be very careful about how they choose to cover everyone.
Defensive coordinators may be forced to double him more than they might like, which opens things up for everyone else. On the other hand, of course, if adjustments need to be made if one of the others gets going, McConkey gets single coverage. And with Jim Harbaugh saying he's become "uncoverable" in one-on-one situations, that's going to lead to some big plays and some monster numbers for the second-year stud.
Get ready, Bolts fans, it's going to be an entertaining year.