Chargers News: Growth, Ceiling Of Rookie Bolt Excites Brandon Staley

The rookie just needs to keep pushing through.

Your Los Angeles Chargers' 2023 NFL season really seemed to start falling apart last weekend, when they dropped yet another close game, a 23-20 road loss to the underdog Green Bay Packers. That defeat, coupled with an expected loss to the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday, dropped LA to a paltry 4-7 record.

LA had chances to take control of the game in Green Bay, but they couldn’t execute when they needed it most. One of the biggest plays came on the Bolts' final drive, but it was stalled after rookie wide receiver Quentin Johnston failed to haul in what would have been the go-ahead score.

How did Quentin Johnston drop this…
https://t.co/CoG6UKIw94

— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) November 19, 2023

One single doesn’t lose a team the game, but in this instance, Johnston could have won the game for his team. But despite the drop, head coach Brandon Staley remains high on the rookie's ceiling going forward.

"We're comfortable with the guy that we're coaching. He has improved a lot as a player, which is what we're after. There's no set of numbers or production that would determine whether or not we feel like he is where he needs to b. No player is where they need to be. Everybody is a work in progress, that's a fact. He's at the beginning of learning how to be an NFL receiver. You've seen it throughout the course of all, I think, top picks at that position, there's just different developmental tracks — sometimes it happens right away, sometimes a little bit later.”



Per Brandon Staley via Chargers.com

The Chargers first-round pick from this past year's NFL Draft has seen a tough start to his NFL career but has slowly picked things up of late. On the year, he has 20 catches for 183 yards and one score.

"What I told you guys after the game is what I told him, that he is going to have plenty more of these opportunities to knock them down, and when you're a young player, there are going to be some things that happen to you that you're going to learn a lot from. The only way that he is going to improve is by being in that situation. You're going through some tough moments as a young player is so valuable for you, no matter what position you play. The more opportunities that he gets, the more comfortable he's going to be in those moments. He just has to continue to prepare and improve. He has got the ability.”

Per Brandon Staley via Chargers.com

LA has started to involve him more in the offense lately, and he has seemed more confident. The hope is that the drop at the end of the Packers game doesn’t shake him, and he can build off the mistake.

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