Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston may be catching fantasy football players off guard with his strong start this season, but his offensive coordinator isn’t surprised.
“I said when I first got here that he’s got immense talent, and it’s great to see him starting to tap into it and realize it,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman mentioned this week.
Johnston has scored three touchdowns so far, up from two last season. He leads the Chargers (2-1) in receiving yards with 133 and is tied for the most receptions at 10 ahead of Sunday’s game against Kansas City (3-0).
In February, during his first media session, Roman compared Johnston to one of his former receivers from his time in Buffalo because of his skills and how he challenged defensive backs.
That receiver was Sammy Watkins. Like Johnston, Watkins had a tough rookie season in Buffalo but then had a breakout year in 2015, achieving career highs in receiving yards (1,047) and touchdowns (nine) during Roman’s first season as the Bills’ offensive coordinator.
Watkins played for nine seasons with five teams, starting his career in Buffalo after being picked sixth overall in the 2014 draft.
Johnston also has two receptions of at least 25 yards this season, matching his total from last year. Both of these catches resulted in touchdowns, including a 27-yard catch last week against Pittsburgh, where he was wide open after safety Minkah Fitzpatrick fell behind in coverage.
“It’s a better start than last year, which is always a positive, but I always look for self-improvement from week to week,” Johnston said.
