Making sense of Quentin Johnston's surprise addition to Chargers injury report

The Los Angeles Chargers are set to face the Kansas City Chiefs in extremely cold weather on Sunday morning. A matchup that has plenty riding for both squads.

Even with all of the pressure for victory, both teams are incredibly banged up, with a long injury report for both sides. Going into Friday's practice, the Chargers had three wide receivers on the report, yielding concern for a room that struggled mightily against their latest victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

After Friday's practice, one more name appeared. That would be Quentin Johnston.

Quentin Johnston injury update

As mentioned, three names were already listed on the injury report for the Chargers' receiver room. Those names are Keenan Allen (rest, no designation), Derius Davis (ankle, ruled out) and Ladd McConkey (foot, no designation). Johnston then added his name with a groin injury, leading him to be limited in practice with an official questionable designation going into the game.

The Chargers could be taking an abundance of caution with their former first-round pick, giving him a bit of a light day on Friday, ensuring he is fresh. With a "lighter" day, they would have to officially list him as a limited participant in practice, which could lead them to place him as questionable. A strategic advantage to prevent the Chiefs from fully knowing who will suit up on game day.

Another possible option, one that is more likely, is that the former TCU receiver aggravated his groin during practice. This led to him sitting out the rest of practice, forcing the Chargers to discuss his injury in the official report.

Johnston has previously been marked as questionable twice this season in 2025, in Week 6 and in Week 11, with a Hamstring and Shin injury, respectively. In Week 6, Johnston did not play. In Week 11, Johnston suited up. A true 50/50 thus far.

Who's to step up?

The Chargers receiver room has been congested this season, with the drafting of two rookies and the return of franchise legend Allen. This has led to limited targets all across the board. Possibly losing Johnston could allow more targets for the rookies who have been patiently waiting for their turn.

Tre Harris, the Chargers second-round selection, has been incredible in his small role. As a "move blocker" who has also shown promise catching tough balls over the middle and creating YAC in small gadget-like plays, Harris is extremely deserving of a target-heavy game. With Johnston out, playing a similar role to Harris, look for the second-round rookie to get more playing time.

Not being hyperbolic, this was one of Justin Herbert's best throws I've ever seen. Great play by Tre' Harris as well. pic.twitter.com/mbPw62T8Gh
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) December 9, 2025

A name that is likely to get more depth snaps is Chargers fifth-round pick, KeAndre Lambert-Smith. The preseason standout has yet to make an impact, being a healthy inactive over half the season. Lambert-Smith has lots of potential but has yet to have it all click in the NFL, with plenty of mental errors. If Johnston is unavailable, "KLS" could very well get another opportunity to make up for his early-season mistakes.

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