Welcome to Part 3 of our 2024 positional recaps, a series that will run through the next few weeks and highlight 11 Chargers position groups. We'll focus on key stats, memorable moments and look to what lies ahead in 2025.
The Chargers entered 2024 with a numerous questions at the wide receiver position.
But time and time again on the way to a playoff berth, there were a number of players who stepped up when needed.
Perhaps none more than rookie Ladd McConkey, who was not only good as a rookie — he was historic.
McConkey set the Chargers franchise rookie record for receptions (82) and receiving yards (1,149) and quickly emerged as a prolific target for Justin Herbert. McConkey's yardage total was good enough to finish 10th overall in the NFL.
Whenever the Bolts needed a big play through the air, McConkey provided a reliable target.
"He's such a tough player. He's a playmaker and finds ways to get open," Herbert said this season. "He's done such a great job of battling injuries and being out there for us.
"He's a guy we trust on third down. Anytime we go out there, he's a threat," Herbert added. "All I have to do is get him the ball and he makes my job so much easier."
The emergence of McConkey also served well for Quentin Johnston to step up in Year 2.
Johnston led the team in receiving touchdowns with eight and made big plays for the Bolts at various points in the year, finishing with 711 receiving yards, good for second-most on the team.
His jump helped the Chargers offense improve in a lot of ways.
"He's been doing it, playing at a high level all season," Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said about Johnston after Week 18. "He's an incredible competitor, that's what it says about him.
"The talent, the effort, his toughness, he brings a level of toughness to our team that is at a very high level," Harbaugh added.
The group's most familiar face was Joshua Palmer, who posted another solid season for the group and was a threat down the field, averaging 15.0 yards per reception.
Second-year receiver Derius Davis saw more involvement in the offense this season as well, notching his first two career receiving touchdowns in Week 16 and Week 17, respectively, as he was able to flash his receiving ability with a couple of tough catches.
The other three receivers who saw a target in 2024 was a group that consisted of Simi Fehoko, DJ Chark and Jalen Reagor.
Fehoko and Reagor suffered injuries midseason that kept them out for a portion of the season, while Chark returned midseason from an injury of his own.
Notable Number
McConkey had a couple of eye-popping stats from his debut season, but none showed his consistency more than a streak he ended the year with.
McConkey ended the regular season with 10 straight games with at least 50 receiving yards, the most by a rookie in NFL history. It was a record he shared with New York's Malik Nabers, who also hit the 10-game mark this season.
The streak broke a record of nine straight games held by Odell Beckham, Jr., in 2014.
Memorable Moment
There were a number of big wide receiver performances from the position group such as Johnston's 13-catch, 186-yard game in Las Vegas.
But we're going to go with a record-breaking moment from the week before.
Having already secured the Chargers franchise rookie record for receptions in a season, McConkey put an exclamation point on team history in the third quarter of the Week 17 game against the Patriots.
With the Chargers driving and on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot, McConkey beat the defense deep as Herbert found him for a 40-yard touchdown to break the rookie receiving yards record.
It blew the game open, and now the wide receiver sits atop the franchise rookie record books.
"He's been an incredible teammate, he's been humble and hungry from Day 1," Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said. "He's a mighty man, a football player.
"There's been a lot of great receivers in Chargers history, so to set the rookie receiving record is just phenomenal," Harbaugh added.
Regular-Season Stats
Ladd McConkey
Recorded 82 catches for 1,149 yards (14.0 average) and seven touchdowns on 112 targets; played in 16 games (14 starts) and played 735 offensive snaps (68.88 percent)
Quentin Johnston
Recorded 55 catches for 711 yards (12.9 average) and eight touchdowns on 91 targets; played in 15 games (11 starts) and played 656 offensive snaps (61.48 percent)
Josh Palmer
Recorded 39 catches for 584 yards (15.0 average) and one touchdown on 65 targets; played in 15 games (seven starts) and played 616 offensive snaps (57.73 percent)
Derius Davis
Recorded 13 catches for 112 yards (8.6 average) on 16 targets; played in eight games (two starts) and played 244 offensive snaps (13.87 percent)
Simi Fehoko
Recorded six catches for 106 yards (17.7 average) and two touchdowns on 17 targets; played in 15 games (two starts) and played 148 offensive snaps (22.87 percent)
Jalen Reagor
Recorded seven catches for 100 yards (14.3 average) on 12 targets; played in eight games (two starts) and played 138 offensive snaps (12.93 percent)
DJ Chark
Recorded four catches for 31 yards (7.8 average) and one touchdown on 10 targets; played in seven games and played 105 offensive snaps (9.84 percent)
1 Question for 2025
Do the Chargers add to the wide receiver room in the offseason?
The Chargers wide receivers answered a handful of questions this season as players step up and play a big role.
McConkey proved to not only be one of the best rookie receivers in the league, but also one of the top overall pass catchers. There will be plenty of excitement about what he could showcase in Year 2.
Johnston, meanwhile, had a strong season in his second year and provided a spark in the end zone while also taking leaps in other areas as well.
Harbaugh and the Bolts were happy with what they were able to get out of their pass catchers this year, making their optimism for next season that much more.
"So much really good to build on," Harbaugh said. "Much excitement. That's certainly a big piece of my excitement going forward. Playmakers, welcome, along with competitors."
However, there exists the possibility that this room will also go through some changes this offseason, whether it's through free agency or the draft.
Palmer, Fehoko, Reagor and Chark are slated to be free agents this offseason.
That leaves only McConkey, Johnston, Davis, Brenden Rice, Jaylen Johnson (futures deal) and Dez Fitzpatrick (futures deal) under contract, the latter three playing a total of 14 combined offensive snaps in 2024.
It remains to be seen how that room shakes out for 2025, but General Manager Joe Hortiz talked about the group and what skillset they're looking for in the pass catchers.
"I don't think you pigeonhole any type of skillset. We want guys to make plays," Hortiz said last week. "We have them on this roster and we're going to add more. That's the goal, to create that competitive environment.
"But we had a lot of guys on this team that made plays for us this year. Big plays, critical plays — I'm talking about game-winning plays — [from guys] that are here," Hortiz added. "They're going to build off of that and add to it and get better and better. But I don't think there's a specific skillset, we just want playmakers."
