Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quinton Johnston is in an interesting position going into the offseason.

Johnston, a first-round pick out of TCU, struggled at the beginning of his career. However, he has picked things up with improvements year-over-year. Even though he is getting better, the Chargers could end up deciding to move on from him this offseason.

“The Chargers have to decide on his fifth-year option for 2027 this offseason, a figure that projects at $17.5 million. That’s not going to be an unreasonable cost for a second wideout, but the Chargers have Herbert on a massive deal and also will pay McConkey before the 2027 season. Coach Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz also inherited Johnston from the previous regime, so they’re not as attached to him as they would be for one of their own picks,” ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell wrote.

“A trade might be the best thing for Johnston, who I think profiles best as a power slot receiver. With McConkey (and Allen this season) ahead of him for slot snaps, Johnston took only 13% of his snaps out of the slot in 2025. He averaged 2.6 yards per route run out of the slot, just about double what he averaged split out wide. A place where he can play in the slot on a regular basis might help unlock some untapped potential, and even if another team picks up his fifth-year option, it would be on the hook for only about $20 million combined over the next two seasons.”

Johnston has not lived up to his first-round status, and picking up the fifth year option on his contract could be a big decision. Based on what he’s been able to produce, it may not be the right choice.

If the Chargers trade him this offseason, they will at least get some form of compensation for him, especially if he becomes an expiring contract should his fifth-year option gets declined. There is potential for him to improve, though, which could be intriguing to teams needing a wide receiver.

BFTB community, what do you think of the possibility of Johnny getting traded this offseason? Chime off in the comments section below.