3 biggest Chargers busts halfway through the 2023 season

Reality does not always meet expectations in the NFL. If there is one fanbase that knows this all too well it is fans of the LA Chargers. Year after year, there are high expectations for the team and players alike and rarely are those expectations met.

On an individual level, there are several players who have been busts for the team this season. That is not to say that they are total draft busts and cannot be successful in the future; these are players who were expected to do more in 2023 and simply have not lived up to the task.

Honorable mention goes out to Tre' McKitty, who definitely would have made this list if he wasn't already waived by the Chargers.

Quentin Johnston has been a bust for the Chargers

Quentin Johnston has had a very lackluster rookie season with many Chargers fans already calling him an outright draft bust. To be fair, the Johnston selection looks awful when the pair of Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison were taken after him.

It is too soon to say that Johnston is an outright bust and won't ever work out in LA. Mike Williams had a lackluster rookie season himself and turned into one of the best deep ball receivers in the league. Some version of that could definitely happen to Johnston, although it may not happen this year.

There are two main reasons why Johnston is struggling. First is the fact that he probably wasn't meant to play much of a role in his rookie season to begin with. Johnston was the WR4 on the depth chart and might have even been WR5 once Jalen Guyton returned. The Chargers didn't pick him to make a huge impact in 2023, they picked him for the long-term vision. Now, because of injuries, he is the WR2.

Johnston also hasn't been used properly considering his skill set. Johnston's size and speed make him seem like a deep-ball threat but he struggles with drops and contested catches. He is someone who should be used in short yardage to pick up yards after the catch. He isn't being used in that capacity.