EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Receiver Quentin Johnston watched this offseason as the Los Angeles Chargers stacked his position group with new talent. More specifically, they acquired receivers who primarily play on the outside, where Johnston plays.
The Chargers signed Mike Williams in free agency. They drafted Tre’ Harris in the second round. They drafted KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the fifth round. Over the past year and a half, since Jim Harbaugh took over as coach, the Chargers have remained publicly supportive of Johnston, who was drafted in the first round by the previous regime. But if you want to understand what a team truly thinks of a player, follow the actions, not the words. And the actions indicated the Chargers were looking for an upgrade.
Things change rapidly in the NFL, though. Williams retired last week, before training camp began. Harris did not initially report to camp because he had not yet signed his rookie deal. Quarterbacks and rookies reported on July 12. Harris did not show up until July 18. He missed valuable days, including the first practice of camp. Lambert-Smith sat out most of the spring, including all of mandatory minicamp, with an injury, and is still working his way into the rotation.
Johnston, in turn, has been spending the majority of his reps with Justin Herbert and the first-team offense over the first four days of camp. And he is, quite literally, seizing his opportunity. Johnston caught two explosive touchdowns from Herbert in Monday’s practice, both on go routes down the left sideline. He beat rookie Trikweze Bridges on the first on a 58-yarder. The second, from 25 yards out, came on the first play of a red zone series. Johnston beat rookie Nikko Reed, who was in solid position and contested the throw. Johnston tracked the ball over his shoulder.
have a day, QJ pic.twitter.com/CGa5X00Zs2
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) July 21, 2025
Over the weekend, Johnston was asked about his confidence entering his third season.
“It’s higher than it’s ever been right now,” he said. “I come in every day and mash the gas as hard as I can, whether we’re in the classroom or on the field. … Leaning on my coaches, leaning on Justin and those type of guys, kind of just reinstilling to me that I got what it takes to still be here. I kind of just got to go out and prove that every day, which I feel like I have to this point.”
Johnston now has three explosive touchdowns in four practices. On Friday, he sprinted open on a deep crossing route off play action. Herbert’s throw came in above Johnston’s head. At times in his career, Johnston has struggled to track deep balls, especially those over his shoulder. He had no such trouble on this play, even with the pass entering at an awkward angle. He reached both hands up and secured the catch without any juggle or bobble.
Repetitions breed confidence. And receivers coach Sanjay Lal has drilled this over-the-shoulder improvement into Johnston day after day. Before practices and games, Lal will set up on one sideline about 5 yards behind Johnston. Johnston will have his back turned to Lal. The two will start walking across the field horizontally. Lal will toss the ball over Johnston’s head. Johnston will secure the catch and toss the ball back to Lal. Lal will do the same thing again.
It is easy to see the growth in Johnston’s deep-ball tracking so far this camp.
“Once we put it to practice and eventually in the game, it’s just going to be muscle memory,” Johnston said of the Lal drill. “It’s going to be like second nature.”
When asked this offseason how Johnston responded to the influx of new players in the receiver room, Lal said, “Water off a duck’s back.”
Johnston is now proving those words with on-field actions.
Through the first four practices, Ladd McConkey, Jalen Reagor and Johnston have been the three primary receivers with the first-team offense in 11 personnel. McConkey has been in the slot, while Reagor and Johnston have been on the outside.
Perhaps Harris and Lambert-Smith will push for first-team snaps as they continue in their rookie camps. Reagor and Johnston have simply been making more plays.
“All the confidence,” Johnston said, “just comes with experience.”
News and notes
• Left tackle Rashawn Slater missed his second straight practice Monday. He did not practice Saturday. The Chargers had an off day Sunday. Slater, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, was working off to the side during the early part of Monday’s practice. He was lifting and training with executive director of player performance Ben Herbert. About midway through practice, Slater walked onto the field. He watched team drills from the sideline, standing with the offensive linemen. He then participated in the fourth-quarter finishing drills at the conclusion of practice.
Slater remains in contract extension negotiations with the Chargers. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said that the Chargers gave Slater a “rest” day on Saturday. “He’s here, he’s working,” Roman said then. “It’s just whether we give him reps or not.” Harbaugh is scheduled to address the media Tuesday before the first padded practice of camp, so we will get a firmer update on Slater then. Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s practices will be held in San Diego.
Joe Alt moved from right tackle to left tackle for the second straight practice. Trey Pipkins was at right tackle. Mekhi Becton was back at right guard after missing the previous two practices. Zion Johnson was at center and Bradley Bozeman was at left guard.
• The Chargers have been down two running backs for the past three practices. Najee Harris (eye) remains on the non-football injury list. Rookie Raheim Sanders has not practiced since Day 1. The Chargers held a run period during Monday’s practice. Without pads on, it was more of a walkthrough tempo. But we did get a look at the running back rotation amid the injuries. Rookie Omarion Hampton got the first carry. Kimani Vidal got the second, followed by Jaret Patterson and Hassan Haskins.
Vidal also had an explosive reception from Herbert on a third down in 11-on-11. The defense brought a blitz. Herbert found Vidal wide open in the flat, and Vidal surged down the sideline for 20 yards before he was tagged off.
A huge opportunity awaits in the upcoming padded practices for all the running backs. Harris’ status remains uncertain. How does Hampton look as the clear No. 1 back? Can Vidal, Patterson or Haskins emerge? Earlier this offseason, there was a potential battle for a fourth running back spot. Harris and Hampton would have formed a one-two punch atop the depth chart, while Haskins is likely to make the 53-man roster because of his special teams experience. Until Harris returns, there is an open No. 2 spot behind Hampton. The Chargers added to the group Monday when they signed veteran Nyheim Hines. He hasn’t played since the 2022 season after suffering a serious knee injury in a jet ski accident.
•. It is clear through the first four practices that Denzel Perryman is ahead of Junior Colson on the linebacker depth chart. Perryman has received all of the first-team reps over Colson, next to Daiyan Henley. This competition will heat up when the pads come on. Said Colson, “When the pads come on, that’s when the bullets are flying.” On Monday, Colson had a tackle-for-loss on a Hampton run during 11-on-11.
• During the aforementioned run period, the Chargers defense rotated through first-team, second-team and third-team fronts. That gave us a look at the interior defensive line depth chart. The first team: Da’Shawn Hand, Teair Tart and Naquan Jones. Second team: Justin Eboigbe, Otito Ogbonnia, Scott Matlock. Third team: Jamaree Caldwell, Christopher Hinton, TeRah Edwards.
Later in 11-on-11, Caldwell sniffed out a screen attempt from Herbert to Vidal. He has the potential to be a disruptive player. Can he ascend the depth chart when the pads come on?
• Receiver Derius Davis had one of the plays of the day on offense. The second-team offense, led by Taylor Heinicke, faced a fourth-and-5 in 11-on-11. Heinicke layered a throw to the sideline, and Davis made a sliding catch in bounds for the conversion. Later in 11-on-11, Davis accelerated on a post route and was wide open, getting behind the defense. Heinicke overthrew him.
Davis has game-breaking speed, as evidenced by his kick and punt returning production. It feels like an explosive touchdown is coming for him at some point this camp. As Lal said earlier this offseason, “There’s so much untapped speed there.”
• Two other Chargers missed Monday’s practice: rookie receiver Luke Grimm and rookie edge rusher Kylan Guidry.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)
