Johnston (hamstring) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.
Johnston took a questionable tag into the weekend after turning in limited practices Wednesday through Friday and was viewed as a game-time decision leading up to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff, but the Chargers have ultimately chosen to hold out the ascending third-year wideout for the first time this season. In Johnston's absence, more target volume could be available for starting wideouts Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen, while rookie Tre' Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith could benefit from more playing time in three-receiver formations. Given that he seemed to close to playing Sunday before being made inactive, Johnston should have decent odds of returning to action Week 7 versus the Colts.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Trending down for Week 6
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Johnston (hamstring), who is questionable to play against Miami on Sunday, is trending toward missing the matchup, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
As a result of the hamstring injury, Johnston was a limited participant Wednesday through Friday. Though the Chargers initially had more hope that Johnston would be able to take the field against the Dolphins, his status is very much in question, with Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noting that the receiver is considered a game-time decision but is likely to be held out if the team determines he has any "chance of re-injury." With that said, Johnston's official status may not be announced until the Chargers release their inactive list around 90 minutes before Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Should Johnston indeed need to sit out Sunday's contest, Tre' Harris could be asked to step up as the Chargers' No. 3 wideout.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Status in question for Sunday
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Johnston (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Miami.
Johnston practiced in a limited fashion both Wednesday and Thursday due to a hamstring injury, and so far he hasn't done enough to gain clearance for Week 6 action. His status will be clarified about 90 minutes before Sunday's 1:00 kickoff, and if he's active he'll be looking to build upon the 26-377-4 line on 40 targets that he's racked up through five contests this season.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Finds end zone again Sunday
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Johnston caught eight of 13 targets for 98 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 21-18 loss to the Giants.
The 2023 first-round pick appears to be coming into his own. Johnston hauled in his fourth TD in four games with a 36-yard strike from Justin Herbert in the second quarter, and he led the Chargers in receptions, receiving yards and targets on the afternoon while setting personal bests for the season in all three categories. Johnston's 2025 rise has coincided with a decline in fortunes for Ladd McConkey, and at some point Herbert may make an effort to get the latter going, but Johnston will be the one taking an impressive 22-337-4 line on 36 targets into a Week 5 meeting with the Commanders.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Leads team in receiving yards
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Johnston tallied six receptions for 89 yards on 10 targets in the 23-20 win over the Broncos on Sunday.
Johnston broke free for a 37-yard reception that appeared to have him bottled up for a shorter gain only for the play to not be ruled dead, allowing the third-year receiver to scamper for additional yardage. His 10 targets were second on Los Angeles behind only Keenan Allen (11), and Johnston was frequently used on intermediate routes all over the field as well. That's now consecutive games in which the 2023 first-round pick has finished top two in targets, all but solidifying his key role in the dynamic offense.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Another TD in win
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Johnston caught just three of his seven targets for 71 yards and a touchdown in the 20-9 win over the Raiders on Monday.
Johnson had multiple critical drops in the first quarter, but for a second consecutive week the 24-year-old once again connected with Justin Herbert on a beautiful frozen rope, this time for a 60-yard touchdown that proved to be all the scoring necessary to beat the Raiders. The 2023 first-round pick did tie for the team high with seven targets, but unlike Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey, the majority of Johnston's targets appeared to be scripted and don't necessarily indicate a potential bump in volume on a week-to-week basis.
It is strange to have two wide receivers on the same team at the top of the waiver wire, but Johnston has proven since the start of 2024 that he does not need a lot of targets to produce a lot of Fantasy points. In his last 16 games, he has produced 2.03 Fantasy points per target, which ranks 13th since the start of last year amongst WRs with at least 90 targets. Johnston won't be as steady as Allen, but he should have more spike weeks.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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Johnston was one of the best surprises from Week 1 when he had five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets against the Chiefs in Brazil. Or maybe this shouldn't have been a surprise after all. Going back to last year, this is now four games in his past seven outings with at least 15.5 PPR points. We might have been too quick to write off Johnston after the Chargers drafted Tre Harris and Keandre Lambert-Smith and then signed Keenan Allen. Johnston should remain a viable part of this passing offense, and he's worth adding in all leagues for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Off injury report
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Johnston (concussion) isn't listed on the Chargers' initial Week 1 injury report that was released Tuesday.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh had already confirmed Monday that Johnston cleared the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, and the third-year wideout's absence from the injury report suggests that he practiced fully Tuesday and will be available for Friday's season opener versus the Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Brazil. While Johnston projects to begin the 2025 campaign as a starter, the Chargers' offseason additions of veteran Keenan Allen and rookie second-round pick Tre' Harris could cut into Johnston's target share and playing time.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that Johnston has been fully cleared from concussion protocol, Chris Roling of SI.com reports.
Johnston sustained a concussion during a preseason loss to the Rams on Aug. 16, but the wideout appears poised to be available for Friday's season opener against the Chiefs. Look for added context on that front to arrive once the Chargers' first official injury report is posted Tuesday.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Progressing in concussion protocol
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Johnston (concussion) did individual drills at practice Thursday, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.
It's a sign of progress through the concussion protocol after a hard hit knocked him out of Saturday's preseason loss to the Rams. The quick return to practice, even in a limited capacity, suggests Johnston is on track for Week 1 against the Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He mostly worked with the first-string offense this summer, but his season-long role is in doubt after the Chargers drafted WRs Tre Harris (second round) and KeAndre Lambert-Smith (fifth round) and signed Keenan Allen. The depth chart may be fluid beyond leading man Ladd McConkey.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Leaves field on cart
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Johnston (head) was carted off the field during Saturday's preseason game versus the Rams, Greg Beacham of the Associated Press reports.
Johnston remained on the turf after landing hard on his helmet early in the first quarter and then was taken to the locker room, likely to undergo tests to determine the nature of his injury. Assuming a head injury is confirmed, he'd be subject to the concussion protocol in order to practice and eventually play again.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Not on track to play Thursday
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Johnston isn't in line to play in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Lions, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Coach Jim Harbaugh said that "veteran traditional starters" won't be seeing action in the contest, with Ladd McConkey also slated to get Thursday off. In the wake of Mike Williams' retirement, McConkey and Johnston are on track to start this season, with 2025 draftees Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith looking to make an immediate impact in a wide receiver corps that also includes Derius Davis and Jalen Reagor (lower body).
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Battling to keep X receiver spot
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Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman said Johnston, Tre Harris and Jalen Reagor can play the X receiver spot, Alex Insdorf of BoltBeat.com reports.
Johnston handled the role for most of 2024, posting a 55-711-8 receiving line in 15 regular-season games while more than doubling his yards per route (1.85) compared to an ugly rookie campaign. It was a clear step forward for the 2023 first-round pick, but he still left some big plays on the field, dropping seven passes and struggling in contested-catch situations. The Chargers responded by signing Mike Williams -- who has since retired -- and using a second-round pick on Harris to give Johnston competition for the X receiver spot. Johnston's name is the first one Roman mentioned when discussing the position in response to Williams' recent retirement.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Still running with first team
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Johnston was running with the first-team offense during mandatory minicamp, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Johnston took a step forward in his second pro season despite logging fewer snaps. However, his role in 2025 appeared to be in jeopardy after the team signed Mike Williams (undisclosed) and selected Tre Harris 55th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. According to Popper, Ladd McConkey, Johnston and Jalen Reagor have been the trio of receivers running with the first team during mandatory minicamp. Harris will likely rise up the depth chart as training camp progresses, so Johnston's role is not yet secure, particularly if Williams can remain on the field.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Could lose role to Tre Harris?
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Second-round pick Tre Harris figures to compete with Johnston and Mike Williams for perimeter snaps, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
The Chargers' top receiver, Ladd McConkey, is at his best working from the slot, yet also figures to get playing time in two-wide formations (as was the case for much of last season). Johnston thus finds himself in a tricky situation, despite being a recent first-round pick (22nd overall in 2023) who improved considerably between Years 1 and 2. The improved version was still wildly inconsistent, memorably putting up 186 yards in Week 18 before going catch-less (on five targets) in a wild-card round loss at Houston. Johnston is good with the ball in his hands, especially relative to other big WRs, but Harris may prove superior at getting open and catching the ball. There's also some chance, though perhaps a slim one, that Williams emerges as a real threat again, now two years removed from an ACL tear and returning to Los Angeles after a one-year sabbatical. The good news for those interested in Johnston is that his already-modest ADP figures to drop even further after the Harris pick.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Lays goose egg in WC loss
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Johnston (thigh) failed to bring in any of his five targets in Saturday's 32-12 playoff loss Houston.
Johnston entered the wild-card round loss carrying a questionable tag, but he showed no limitations from the thigh injury while running routes. The 23-year-old's playoff debut was instead plagued by his hands after he suffered multiple drops en route to a zero-catch performance. Saturday's dud comes on the heels of Johnston's best game of his career in Week 18 against the Raiders (13-186-0). The inconsistent sophomore finished the regular season with a 55-711-8 receiving line across 15 games for the Chargers.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Active for playoff opener
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Johnston (thigh) is active for Saturday's wild-card game in Houston.
Johnston sandwiched limited practices around a DNP on Wednesday due to a thigh issue and was given a questionable designation for the Chargers' postseason opener. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported Friday that Johnston was expected to play Saturday, which now has been confirmed. As a result, Johnston will team up with Ladd McConkey at wide receiver and look to build upon the 13-186-0 outburst he produced on 14 targets last Sunday at Las Vegas.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Expected to play Saturday
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Johnston (thigh/illness), who is listed as questionable for Saturday's wild-card round game against the Texans, is "good to go" for the contest, a source tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
Johnston logged a limited practice Tuesday and a DNP on Wednesday before returning to a limited session Thursday. Based on Fowler's report, the wideout (who put up a career-best 13-186-0 line on 14 targets in the Chargers' Week 18 win over the Raiders) is on track to be available for Saturday's 4:30 p.m. ET kickoff, with official confirmation of his status, either way, set to arrive once Los Angeles' inactives are posted.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Takes questionable tag into weekend
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Johnston (thigh/illness) is listed as questionable for Saturday's wild-card game against the Texans.
After producing a career-best 13-186-0 receiving line on 14 targets in the Chargers' Week 18 win over the Raiders, Johnston has been tending to a pair of health concerns that have kept him out of one practice and limited him in two others leading up to the playoff opener. Head coach Jim Harbaugh hasn't shed much light on the severity of the thigh injury or illness, but Johnston's status will now be worth keeping close tabs on leading up to Saturday's 4:30 p.m. ET kickoff. With the Chargers ruling out Joshua Palmer (foot) for the wild-card game, DJ Chark and Derius Davis would be next in line to take on more reps behind No. 1 wideout Ladd McConkey if Johnston is unable to play.
