The Green Bay Packers have a reason to explore the wide receiver market ahead of the NFL trade deadline. Finding another target for Jordan Love, however, doesn’t mean every available name would make sense.
Los Angeles Chargers receiver Quentin Johnston has already been suggested as a potential fit after Jayden Reed’s season-ending neck injury. But the former first-round pick is now drawing a much less favorable assessment from another analyst.
Even with Green Bay’s depth concerns, the Packers have been called the worst possible landing spot for Johnston. The problem has more to do with who is already catching passes in Matt LaFleur’s offense than Johnston’s ability to make plays.
Packers Quentin Johnston Trade Idea Gets ‘Worst Landing Spot’ Label
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport listed Green Bay as Johnston’s worst potential destination in his Oct. 16 look at receivers who might be available before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
Davenport acknowledged that the Packers have a need following Reed’s injury. However, he questioned what another big, fast receiver would accomplish when Christian Watson already provides that element of the offense.
Davenport wrote that adding Johnston “wouldn’t be good for Johnston or Green Bay,” projecting him as the fourth option behind Watson, Matthew Golden and tight end Tucker Kraft.
This certainly differs from Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker, who previously listed the Packers among Johnston’s possible trade fits, along with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders.
Neither projection amounts to reported negotiations. There is no indication Green Bay has made an offer or that the Chargers have agreed to move Johnston.
The 25-year-old has seven receptions for 108 yards and no touchdowns in four games this season. He missed Los Angeles’ most recent game with a chest injury, and his role had already diminished amid the Chargers’ offensive struggles.
Johnston’s past production offers some reason for interest. He recorded 55 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024 before adding 51 receptions, 735 yards and another eight scores last season. His 18 career receiving touchdowns show he can produce, even if consistency has remained a concern.
Christian Watson and Matthew Golden Complicate Packers Trade Idea
The Packers already have two receivers commanding most of Love’s attention. Through five games, Watson and Golden have combined for 50 catches, 871 yards and eight touchdowns, establishing themselves as the offense’s primary outside threats.
Both were particularly effective in Sunday’s 31-7 win over the Chicago Bears. Watson caught six passes for 143 yards, while Golden added 123 receiving yards as Love threw for 367 yards and two touchdowns.
Kraft is another established part of the passing game, with 20 catches for 212 yards and a touchdown. Adding Johnston would raise a fair question about how many opportunities he’d receive, especially given the similarities between his skill set and Watson’s.
There is also a significant financial consideration. The Chargers exercised Johnston’s fifth-year option, putting him in line for a $16.5 million salary in 2027. That’s a sizable commitment to take on for a receiver who might be fourth in Green Bay’s pecking order.
None of that erases the Packers’ depth problem. Reed is out for the season, Romeo Doubs left in free agency and Dontayvion Wicks was traded. One more injury could leave Green Bay leaning heavily on inexperienced receivers.
Still, Johnston would need a clear role to justify both a trade and the future cost. Davenport’s point is that a receiver who needs more opportunities might find fewer of them in Green Bay.
Packers Named ‘Worst Landing Spot’ for 18-TD Chargers Playmaker