Quentin Johnston could be the X-factor in the Chargers’ new-look offense

El SEGUNDO, Calif. — There is plenty of excitement surrounding what the offense led by Jim Harbaugh, Mike McDaniel, and Justin Herbert will look like in 2026.

One player who could benefit the most from McDaniel’s arrival is former first-round pick Quentin Johnston. Since being selected 22nd overall in 2023 by then-general manager Tom Telesco, Johnston has received plenty of criticism, some of it unwarranted.

Now entering his fourth season with the Chargers, Johnston is coming off a career-best campaign in which he recorded 735 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. The organization recently rewarded him by picking up his fifth-year option.

“A testament to my hard work this far,” Johnston said. “Very proud of myself, but I'm not comfortable yet. So I'm glad I got that, but I'm gonna continue to work.”

A video recently circulated on social media showing McDaniel walking over to Johnston and delivering a strong message.

"Your drive phase right now is gonna f*ck the league up,” McDaniel said to Johnston.

The drive phase McDaniel referenced is the burst a receiver gets off the line of scrimmage once the ball is snapped. Johnston has always possessed elite speed, and in the type of offense McDaniel wants to run, that explosiveness could become a major weapon.

McDaniel has been complimentary of Johnston ever since he was hired by the Chargers in January. In fact, he made a bold comparison just over a month ago.

“I think he's a guy that has some traits in his game that are similar to some very powerful, explosive, productive receivers that I've had in the past, namely like Julio (Jones) and Andre (Johnson) and so we're pushing him,” McDaniel said on May 8th.

Ric Tapia – The Sporting Tribune

Mike McDaniels and Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers talk during offseason organized team activities at The Bolt on May 26, 2026 in El Segundo, California.

McDaniel coached Johnson in Houston from 2006-08 while serving as an offensive assistant and worked with Jones in Atlanta from 2015-16 in the same role.

Obviously, Jones and Johnson are two of the best receivers of the modern NFL era, but McDaniel’s comparison was more about the traits Johnston possesses and the impact he could potentially make.

“I’m taking his word for it,” Johnston said of McDaniel’s compliment. “I want to see where it takes us this year.”

It could take the Chargers offense to new heights. McDaniel’s system emphasizes quick throws and yards after the catch, commonly referred to as YAC.

That was Johnston’s specialty at TCU. When imagining Johnston in this offense, it is easy to see especially for  Harbaugh, who experienced it first in college. In the Fiesta Bowl semifinal against Michigan, Johnston caught a drag route on 3rd-and-7 and turned it into a 76-yard touchdown that put TCU ahead 48-38 with less than 13 minutes remaining.

Plays like that are a reminder of why the Chargers selected him in the first round, even if it was under a previous regime.

“When he kind of introduced some of those things to us during meetings, and at practice it kind of lit me up a little bit, so I'm very fired up about that,” Johnston said.

The biggest knock on Johnston early in his career was his struggles with drops. While that criticism has followed him, he has improved in that area while continuing to develop the rest of his game.

Johnston’s 16 receiving touchdowns rank among the league’s most productive young receivers. He is tied with Jaxson Smith-Njigba and trails only players such as Tee Higgins, Davante Adams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Ja’Marr Chase during that span. That is impressive company.

“I think he can have a career year, and he's been aces all off season,” Harbaugh said.

His receiving yards, yards per reception, and yards per game have all improved over his first three NFL seasons. A major reason for that growth has been the confidence Harbaugh and wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal have shown in him.

During his media availability on Tuesday, Johnston displayed some fire when asked about the perception that the Chargers still needed to add more talent to the receiver room.

“I got all the confidence in the world of myself, and everybody I got in the room,” Johnston said. “Kind of just letting people have their opinion, and people got an opinion about everything in sports. Obviously, you got to just take that with a grain of salt and keep moving forward.”

Johnston also said McDaniel has not asked him to overhaul his game, but rather focus on refining the details.

“Just working on faster timing, how to break stuff, and just getting my head around with different stuff quicker,” Johnston said.

Much of the attention surrounding McDaniel’s offense has centered on Ladd McConkey and rookie Tre Harris. However, Johnston may ultimately be one of the biggest beneficiaries. His ability to stretch the field and pull away from defenders mirrors the type of speed McDaniel often featured in Miami, where explosive athletes consistently created big plays.

“I think he's going to have his best year,” Herbert said. “He's done such a great job of picking up this offense and playing football and playing fast, and I'm really excited to see what he can do this year.”

Ric Tapia – The Sporting Tribune

Quentin Johnston #1 of the Los Angeles Chargers runs after the catch during offseason organized team activities at The Bolt on May 26, 2026 in El Segundo, California.

A lot of work has been done in meetings and on the practice field, but the real evaluation will begin once the pads come on. Johnston entered the league as a rookie during Kellen Moore’s lone season as offensive coordinator and when the Brandon Staley era was nearing its end.

Over the past two seasons under Harbaugh, Johnston has improved in several areas, particularly when it comes to limiting negative plays and becoming a more consistent contributor. He had only three games last season with ten receiving yards or fewer, including two games in which he was held without a catch.

Under McDaniel, Johnston may be poised to take another step forward. If the Chargers are going to reach their goals in 2026, they will need Johnston’s upward trajectory to continue.

“It’s been fun,” Johnston said of working with McDaniel. “I’m ready to actually come back from the break, and continue to work on them some more.”