It's a tricky situation right off the bat for Quentin Johnston.
This is the first sentence ESPN's Bill Barnwell used to describe Johnston in a new article on Thursday: "Johnston is somehow simultaneously underrated and overrated at the same time."
The Chargers will eventually have to make a decision on a $17.5 million fifth-year option for Johnston despite that reality. That's not easy.
Johnston is clearly talented. He also has drop troubles. It's complicated.
"Johnston is probably never going to have vice-grip hands, but even with the drops, he can be a productive player," Barnwell writes. "He has been a downfield threat for Justin Herbert over the past two years, catching a pair of touchdowns in the win over the Chiefs to open the season. The size and speed that made him a first-round prospect entering the league are still there, and he has averaged 1.7 yards per route run over the past two seasons, which is just ahead of players such as Jordan Addison and Darnell Mooney."
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Johnston's role has declined since the emergence of rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden, though, which isn't an ideal sign.
"The problem has been the emergence of rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II, who has served as a viable vertical threat and drawn targets away from the third-year pro," Barnwell writes. "Johnston averages just 1.2 yards per route run with Gadsden on the field. Johnston topped 70 receiving yards in each of his first four games, but after the Chargers gave Gadsden more playing time in October, Johnston has yet to top that mark since -- including two catch-less games against the Vikings and Jags. And the Chargers losing offensive linemen Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater to season-ending injuries has also limited the amount of time Herbert has to look downfield, where Johnston typically can make an impact."
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So, here comes decision time.
"The Chargers have to decide whether they want to pick up Johnston's fifth-year option for 2027, which would guarantee the 24-year-old $17.5 million," Barnwell writes. "That's not an unreasonable figure for a second wideout and could be a bargain if Johnston continues to develop, but it's more than L.A. Would like to pay a player who has gone missing for stretches while Gadsden has been in the mix. The current Chargers regime isn't the one that drafted Johnston, and it might not be quite as attached to Johnston's success in Los Angeles as it would be otherwise. If Johnston has a blistering end to the season, the Chargers could pick up the option or even talk about an extension. If there are more zeroes in his game log, a declined option or a trade seem more likely."
Given all that, it's no certainty that Johnston will be with the Chargers in 2026, with 2027 being even less clear.
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