The Los Angeles Chargers have now made a habit of having quality regular seasons but not quite putting it together in the postseason.
Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert and company may need to explore some kind of change to maximize this era of their team.
One suggestion from ESPN's Bill Barnwell is that WR Quentin Johnston could be on the trade block.
"The Chargers have to decide on his fifth-year option for 2027 this offseason, a figure that projects at $17.5 million," Barnwell writes. "That's not going to be an unreasonable cost for a second wideout, but the Chargers have Herbert on a massive deal and also will pay McConkey before the 2027 season. Coach Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz also inherited Johnston from the previous regime, so they're not as attached to him as they would be for one of their own picks."
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Johnston is a bit of an enigma, a fast, strong, skilled wideout who has also had bouts of drop issues at different points in his career.
His hands showed improvement in 2025, and the Chargers' offensive line injuries didn't help their passing game as a whole.
Still, Barnwell thinks the best route might be a Johnston trade so he can be used optimally.
"A trade might be the best thing for Johnston, who I think profiles best as a power slot receiver," Barnwell writes. "With McConkey (and Allen this season) ahead of him for slot snaps, Johnston took only 13% of his snaps out of the slot in 2025. He averaged 2.6 yards per route run out of the slot, just about double what he averaged split out wide. A place where he can play in the slot on a regular basis might help unlock some untapped potential, and even if another team picks up his fifth-year option, it would be on the hook only for about $20 million combined over the next two seasons."
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The Chargers would likely want a pick in the top half of the draft to move Johnston, which they might just be able to pull off.
It'll be interesting to see how this one plays out as the offseason goes on.
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