Quentin Johnston
Johnston is out with a chest injury, so he is a short-term absence on a roster where Tre' Harris is pushing him. He has been inefficient through three games, and no return timeline has been reported.
Role
Before the injury he was the No. 2 receiver behind Ladd McConkey. NBC Sports (Week 3 note) had him on 60 of 69 offensive snaps and running a route on 37 of 43 dropbacks against the Bills, so "the clear second receiver by playing time." FantasyData has him at 17 targets through three games, with 6 catches for 64 yards and no touchdowns. Harris is the direct competitor for perimeter work. He played 41 snaps and drew the same number of targets as Johnston in Week 1, and caught 6 of 7 for 76 yards in Week 3 on fewer snaps. I did not read a current depth chart, so I can't say who starts in Johnston's absence. Reporting I found does not confirm how many games he will miss or when he returns.
The snap and route share is still there: 60 of 69 snaps in Week 3, and he led the team in Week 2 targets. Preseason coverage (Fox Sports) shows him reprising the No. 2 receiver role after a 65-yard touchdown from Herbert. The case is that his downfield, big-play profile will eventually convert volume into scores once he is healthy.
The production has not followed the role. He has 17 targets for 64 yards and no touchdowns, with a costly third-down drop in Week 3. NBC Sports wrote that his role "isn't going to grow anytime soon." FantasyData notes Harris could pass him in the target pecking order, and PFF's current-season grade has him 75th of 78 qualified wide receivers. A missed stretch gives Harris more reps to take the work.
Where analysts split
The open question is whether Harris overtakes Johnston for the No. 2 job. Johnston's snap share is still higher, but Harris has been more efficient on fewer snaps. Current sources lean toward Harris gaining ground, but no analyst I found has said it has happened.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
Others at WR
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