The Los Angeles Chargers have invested heavily in their attempt to build the best ecosystem possible around quarterback Justin Herbert. One of the earlier attempts at doing this was taking Zion Johnson with the 17th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. This came one year after adding left tackle Rashawn Slater with the 13th pick in 2021.
Johnson is nearing the end of his rookie contract, but as a player drafted in the first round, the Chargers have the ability to extend him with a fifth-year option.
This option is in place to give franchisees the ability to retain a player, at a low cost, who they feel has not risen to the expected level of potential but is heading in the right direction. The best players get extensions early and poor performers are moved on from.
Los Angeles Chargers 5th Year Option Prediction
According to Pro Football Focus’s Bradley Locker, the Chargers will not exercise Johnson’s fifth-year option, as Johnson has not lived up to his high draft expectations.
“Even after switching from right to left guard, Johnson has played at a mediocre level since joining the Chargers. He’s never reached even a 64.5 PFF overall grade, and in his three years in the NFL, he sits in the 31st percentile in PFF pass-blocking grade. General manager Joe Hortiz has done significant work to overhaul Los Angeles’ offensive line since arriving, from drafting Joe Alt to signing both Mekhi Becton and Andre James on the inside. Johnson’s spot as a starter may not even be guaranteed, considering Bradley Bozeman is still under contract.”
Head coach Jim Harbaugh has long preached that football starts with winning the line of scrimmage. His standards for the offensive line are astronomically high, hence the reason he used yet another first-round pick on the o-line — this time for Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt.
Some have speculated that this year will be the same, another offensive lineman taken early in the Chargers draft.
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