Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston entered the 2024 NFL summer needing to prove himself to a new coaching staff after a disastrous rookie season. Following a rough start at Chargers training camp, head coach Jim Harbaugh is shedding light on why there’s still hope with Johnston.
Chosen with the 21st overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Johnston was one of the worst rookie receivers in football last season. He failed to step up when Mike Williams suffered a season-ending injury, with others behind him on the Chargers depth chart surpassing him.
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- Quentin Johnston stats (Pro Football Reference): 38 receptions, 431 receiving yards, 11.3 yards per reception, 2 touchdowns, 20 first downs on 67 targets in 17 games played
Once the new staff traded Keenan Allen and cut Williams this offseason, it provided a path to playing time for Johnston. However, the second-year wideout struggled with drops and inconsistency in the early days of Chargers training camp. It might’ve been a learning opportunity.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Jim Harbaugh explained that Johnson is arguably the team’s greatest example of taking what the Chargers coaching staff taught him this summer and applying it to his game. He proved to be one of the standouts in practice this week, showing much more consistency and reliability.
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- Quentin Johnston contract (Spotrac): $959,944 salary in 2024, $1.564 million salary in 2025, $2.684 million salary in 2025, 2027 fifth-year option
While individual highlights in practice don’t tell you everything about how a player is performing, Harbaugh’s comments speak volumes. Johnston has demonstrated that he is very coachable and he takes the instructions he is receiving from the Chargers coaching staff and quickly implements it to improve.
With rookie Ladd McConkey missing time this summer due to injury, there have been more opportunities for Johnston to keep building his chemistry with Justin Herbert. In a receiver room that doesn’t have a clear No. 1 wide receiver and is in desperate need of a playmaker, Johnston has a chance to go from a first-year bust to a second-year breakout in 2024.
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