Chargers HC Staley on Quentin Johnston: No 'Lack of Confidence' amid Fans' Criticism

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley hasn't lost faith in Quentin Johnston amid a disappointing season from the first-year wide receiver.

Johnston logged just 29 snaps in the team's 20-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12. He suffered a rib injury midway through the game and remained on the sideline despite being cleared to return.

Staley cited the "flow of the game" as the reason behind his decision to keep Johnston off the field.

"What I meant about the flow of the game is that he had an injury that we didn't feel like, within the flow of the game — where him going into the game was going to give us that best chance, we didn't feel like he was 100 percent," he told reporters Monday.

Staley added that "it wasn't because of a lack of confidence" in the rookie.

There's no getting around the fact Johnston hasn't played up to expectations after the Chargers selected him 21st overall in the 2023 NFL draft. He has 21 receptions for 190 yards and one touchdown, and his catch rate (56.8 percent) is the lowest among the team's regular pass-catchers, per Pro Football Reference.

The discourse on social media has been withering.

It's too early to write Johnston off, especially since he's one hot stretch away from changing the narrative. Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown wasn't on many fans' radar in 2021 until his blistering finish to the year.

Granted, getting benched — no matter what Staley's rationale — won't exactly help Johnston's cause.