Chargers News: Erratic Wideout Haunted by Botched Rookie Season Catch for LA

This Los Angeles wide receiver is still haunted by pivtoal drop from rookie season.

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) drops a pass late in the fourth quarter after getting past Green Bay Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine (37) during their football game Sunday, November 19, 2023, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. / Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin /

The Los Angeles Chargers had a disappointing 2023 campaign. Nothing went right for the 5-12 Bolts, including the play of their 2023 first-round rookie selection, Quentin Johnston.

Johnston had a rather underwhelming rookie campaign. He seemed to do nothing right, and his dropped catch against the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter of a Week 11 contest was the microcosm of his season. Johnston made a crucial drop, and the Bolts ended up losing the contest partly because of that drop.

Johnston told reporters, including ESPN's Kris Rhim, that although that game was in mid-November, that drop still sticks with the 22-year-old.

Quentin Johnston said his drop against Green Bay last season still sticks with him.

He said he often thinks about that moment on days when he’s lacking motivation as a reminder and credited the drop to a lack of concentration. pic.twitter.com/Bnb3I3gpAO

— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) June 4, 2024

Here's the drop to which Johnston is referring:

#Chargers lost after this ugly drop by Quentin Johnston at the end of the game... damnpic.twitter.com/Cx33zGznK9pic.twitter.com/qldmRfSu1khttps://t.co/d6pRJd2384

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 19, 2023

The drop occurred on a 2nd and 6 play with the Bolts down three points on their own 30-yard line. A completion on that play would've gotten the Chargers on their opponents' side of the field and, at worst, sent the game into overtime. Instead, Johnston couldn't snag the ball in, and they turned over the ball on downs.

That was a microcosm of the Chargers and Johnston's season. The 22-year-old didn't have the best rookie season, recording 38 catches for 431 yards and two touchdowns. He was targeted 67 times and recorded an average of 11.3 yards per reception.

Johnston looked like a bust after his first year, and many question marks surround the former Horned Frog's ability to be the impact player L.A. drafted last year. That remains to be seen, but it appears that he is ready to tackle that assignment head-on in 2024.

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