The Los Angeles Chargers offense lost a key piece when veteran wide receiver Mike Williams abruptly announced his retirement last week. Alongside second-year wideout Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston is now another pass-catcher the Chargers will be relying upon with Williams no longer on the roster.
“At this point [we’re] just treating it like the next man up,” Johnston told the Los Angeles Times. “Him leaving was unexpected, but at the same time, we just gotta fill in the blank and keep moving.”
While Williams had dealt with his fair share of injuries throughout his career, the lanky receiver had been a consistent face at times for quarterback Justin Herbert. After all, Williams did tally 32 touchdowns throughout his career with the Chargers.
With Williams no longer in the fold, Johnston is eager to show that he can continue to contribute at the NFL level.
“I got what it takes to still be here,” Johnston said. “I just gotta go out there and prove that every day.”
Johnston led the team with eight touchdowns last season and finished second on the team in receiving behind McConkey — that, after after dealing with injuries throughout his rookie campaign that reduced the 2023 first-round pick to just 431 yards on 38 catches to go along with a pair of touchdowns.
Meanwhile, McConkey figures to be the team’s top option in the passing game after bursting onto the scene with 82 receptions for 1,149 yards and seven touchdown as a rookie last season. McConkey also tallied at least 80 yards receiving in eight of his final 11 games to close out the season, including 197 yards and a touchdown in the Chargers’ Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans.
Los Angeles also selected former Ole Miss star Tre Harris in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Harris — who caught 114 passes for 2,015 yards and 15 touchdowns in two seasons at Ole Miss — figures to factor into the team’s receiving core. He reported to training camp on Friday after recently signing his rookie contract with the Chargers.
With the Chargers adding two rookie wideouts to the mix along with tight end Oronde Gadsden II, the team is could be seeking more production out of its pass catcher in 2025. If Johnston can continue to build off of a strong sophomore season, he could be one of Herbert’s top targets going forward.