Chargers' Rookie WR Could Challenge Quentin Johnston For Starting Position

Valentina Martinez | Aug 1, 2024

Jun 13, 2024; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Brenden Rice (82) carries the ball during minicamp at the Hoag Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Rookie wide receiver Brenden Rice is making strides toward earning a spot on the Chargers' roster. Through the first week of training camp, Rice has made big plays that were featured on the Chargers social media channels.

snagggggged pic.twitter.com/QsI1vih7zE

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) July 31, 2024

The former USC Trojan made a notable play on Wednesday catching a pass from quarterback Easton Stick. Rice created just enough space with the defense and made the impressive grab. This was just one of many notable plays Rice has been making in camp.

With several questions at the wide receiver position, there was debate on whether the son of 49ers Hall of Famer Jerry Rice would earn a spot on the roster. However, with Rice performing with such momentum, he might push out wideout Quentin Johnston for a spot in the wide receiver room.

The second year continues to struggle with dropping passes which haunted him throughout the 2023 season and even cost the Chargers a game. Johnston showed at camp that his hands are still a problem so Rice might be the player to fill in the fourth spot for the Bolts if he can continue to separate himself.

Rice has a good build, strong hands, solid route running, and the ability to block in space. Rice finished his collegiate career at USC with 84 catches for 1,402 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Rice was a seventh-round draft pick which was a surprise to his father, but it's given the rookie motivation to prove people wrong.

"My dad was hot," Rice laughed to reporters, via the team's transcript. "The first words he said was, 'Time to go to work.' He said, 'I will be with you every step of the way.' He said, 'Now, I'm going to be involved within all of your workouts from now on, and we have a lot of people to prove wrong, a lot of teams that go ahead.' It's going to be one hell of a story, that's all that I'm going to say."

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said that Los Angeles had hoped to snag Rice in the third or fourth round of the draft so it was a "no-brainer" when the Bolts drafted him as the No. 225 overall pick. With the way Rice is performing, he could be a big steal for the Chargers.

As the rest of the summer unfolds, so will the rookie's fate, but Rice is one step closer to earning his spot in the back end of the Chargers wide receiver room.