Los Angeles Chargers sophomore wide receiver Quentin Johnston had an outstanding performance in the first half of Sunday’s Week 2 game.

Johnston scored his first touchdown of the season against the Carolina Panthers.

Johnston’s 29-yard touchdown came after he beat Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn in one-on-one coverage. Herbert’s throw was low inside, but the wideout stretched to catch the ball.

Johnston’s touchdown catch against Horn was an attempt to prove his doubters wrong.

It was only Johnston’s second catch of the game. Cameron Dicker missed the extra point, but the receiver put the Chargers on the scoreboard with his touchdown. The Bolts then led the game 6-0.

Johnston then scored his second touchdown of the game, giving the Chargers a 13-0 lead over the Panthers in the second quarter.

Johnston was completely free in the end zone for Herbert. He had been the quarterback’s main target so far in the game.

The second-year receiver’s performance in the first half was exactly what the Chargers hoped for when they signed him.

It’s too early to say if this was Johnston’s breakout game of the season, but he’s certainly making his mark and there’s still another half to play.

Before his Week 2 performance, Johnston was a hot candidate to be transferred and some people speculated that he would not be the No. 4 receiver when the season began.

The Chargers selected Johnston 21st overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. The wideout was expected to strengthen the offense this year, but there were also hopes that the TCU product would eventually follow in Keenan Allen’s footsteps.

Things changed quickly as Johnston had a disappointing rookie year. He struggled with consistency and dropped passes. A dropped pass even cost Los Angeles a game against the Green Bay Packers.

Johnston was immediately labeled a bad investment, but many speculated that it was merely growing pains at the beginning of a long career with the Chargers.

“It was OK. Obviously some games were better than others,” Johnston said of his rookie season. “That was kind of my thing, just going in and being very critical of myself. Improving that in practice and off the field to make it better for next season.”

“I think the biggest lesson I learned last year is trusting my route-taking. I think I was pretty good in some areas, on some routes,” Johnston said, according to team logs. “Looking back, I could have been a little further back on some routes or been more patient with other things.”

Let’s see what Johnston has in store for the second half of week two.