The NFL preseason officially arrives tomorrow night with the one exhibition game that everyone knows and loves. Yes, the Hall of Fame Game, from Canton, Ohio is Thursday, July 31 and this year it features the Los Angeles Chargers versus the Detroit Lions. While yes, this is still just a preseason game, and hence we’ll see mostly backups (and players lower than that on the depth chart) it’s still the most high-profile exhibition of all.
Hence Jim Harbaugh will want his team to potentially (or at least hopefully) answer some of the questions that reside in the minds of Los Angeles Chargers fans everywhere.
In the NFL, “it all starts with the quarterback,” as the cliche goes, and the L.A. Chargers have a great one in Justin Herbert, but he needs more weapons to work with. The Chargers acknowledged this reality, in the way that they approached this April’s draft. They took a running back in the first round (Omarion Hampton from North Carolina) and a wide receiver in the second (Tre Harris from Ole Miss).
So receiver was a big position of need, even before Mike Williams retired, but this specific hole is now all the more glaring since he decided to step away.
Why?
Well, Ladd McConkey looked the part of a true #1 WR last season, racking up 1,100+ yards receiving, good for tenth in the National Football League in 2024. He’s young and has the potential to possibly do that season after season, so we’ll see.
As pointed out in an article on RG.org: “LA is hoping Quentin Johnston will have a breakout campaign, he’s yet to live up to expectations.”
Yes, Harbaugh, and especially Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, really need Johnston to start living up to the hype and soon.
While we should see Harris get some action in Canton, it likely won’t be a whole lot.
He’s one of the league’s many second round draft picks who didn’t sign and get into camp until late this offseason. So what about bringing back club legend Keenan Allen?
That same RG article posits the idea, and it would make sense for all involved.
After all, Allen put up good numbers with the Chicago Bears, and that’s not easy, considering that historically Soldier Field has been…well, there’s a reason the Monsters of the Midway have never had a 4,000 yard passer.
However, Allen isn’t indicating where he’s going to go, just yet, and he has not shortage of potential suitors.
Unfortunately, Los Angeles Chargers fans will just have to wait and see.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter