EL SEGUNDO — Can wide receiver Ladd McConkey continue to be quarterback Justin Herbert’s top target in his second season in the NFL, catching passes for more than 1,100 yards for the second consecutive season? Will third-year wide receiver Quentin Johnston continue to raise his game?
How will Jalen Reagor fit into the mix in the absence of Joshua Palmer, who signed a three-year contract with the Buffalo Bills in March? Are rookies Tre’ Harris and KeAndre Lambert Smith poised to become impact players after veteran Mike Williams retired unexpectedly last week?
These and other questions about the Chargers’ wide receiver corps will be answered in due course, but for now, with training camp entering its second week on Monday, they make for compelling discussions. No question looms larger than the one about Herbert having sufficient weapons.
The Chargers believed they had added experience, depth and talent when they re-signed Williams to a one-year contract worth up to $6.5 million in March. They had cut him one year earlier in a cost-saving move and he split the 2024 season with the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Williams’ presence was expected to take some, but certainly not all of the pressure from McConkey, whose remarkable route-running and sure hands enabled him to become Herbert’s No. 1 target last season. McConkey set Chargers rookie records with 82 catches for 1,149 yards in 16 games.
All the more impressive was the fact that by midseason, or perhaps earlier, opponents knew full well that Herbert would look to McConkey first, last and always. It was never a surprise that the two would link up. Another surprise was why they continued to be so successful against opposing defenses.
So, now what?
How do the Chargers proceed without Williams, an eight-year veteran?
“I was definitely disappointed,” Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman said of the news that Williams would not be playing this season. “I really enjoyed my time with Mike. I’ve watched him throughout the years coming out of the draft. I watched him flourish here. Just really happy for him in the next stage of his life. Such a good guy, and I wish I could have worked with him this year, but it didn’t work out.”
But how does it change things for the Chargers?
“I don’t know that it changes things a lot,” Roman said when pressed by a reporter “You lose a Mike Williams, that is what it is. He’s not easily replaceable. We like where everybody’s going. We like where everybody’s going. We like the guys we have. We’ve just got to work and keep getting better. I like the trajectory we’re on.”
Some of the burden to replace Williams will fall on Johnston’s shoulders.
Johnston improved dramatically from Year 1 to Year 2, after the Chargers picked him in the first round in 2023 and he failed to deliver the goods. He had 55 catches in 15 games during the 2024 season, up from 38 in 17 games in ’23. He had 711 yards, up from 431 yards in ’23. He had eight touchdowns, up from two in ’23.
Plus, Herbert targeted him 91 times last season, up from 67 in 2023.
Johnston caught two touchdown passes of 30 yards or more from Herbert during 11-on-11 drills during practice Monday. He hauled in each throw by sprinting first along the left sideline and then the right, much to the delight of Chargers fans who cheered loudly as he raced into the end zone.
It would be too much to ask for Johnston to play up to Williams’ lofty standards, though. Their skills are different. After all, Williams had few peers when it came to snatching the so-called 50-50 passes from the hands of opposing defenders, which made him a unique target for Herbert over the years.
“We’ve just got to fill in the blank and keep moving,” Johnston said.
No question, the depth chart won’t look the same without Williams’ name near the top of it.
EXTRA POINTS
The Chargers packed up their gear and headed for San Diego after Monday’s practice. They will practice Tuesday and Wednesday at the University of San Diego, a homecoming of sorts for Jim Harbaugh, who got his head coaching start with the Toreros in 2004. He spent three seasons at USD. …
Left tackle Rashawn Slater sat out for the second consecutive practice. Right guard Mekhi Becton returned to practice after missing two workouts while joining in the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl ring celebration. … Safety Elijah Molden returned to the active roster after starting training camp on the PUP list.