McConkey's sophomore slump is behind him. New offensive schemes and YAC dominance set the stage for a breakout 2026.
The picture for what Ladd McConkey's 2026 will be is still a little out of focus, but it's starting to look like there's a ton of potential to get excited about.
After a tremendous rookie season in 2024, where he caught 82 passes for 1,149 yards and 7 touchdowns, expectations were sky high for what Ladd would do in his second season.
I wouldn't say he had a bad season in 2025, 66 catches for 789 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns is still good, but it's not the Pro Bowl level of production that many were hoping for from him.
Why the drop-off? Well, that probably depends on your own opinion. It could be because Keenan Allen came back to the team and took the bulk of his snaps as the team's slot WR, which is exactly where McConkey played his best as a rookie (following Allen's departure). Or it could simply be that the offensive line made McConkey's timing routes a lot less useful.
The easiest answer might simply be that McConkey had a worse year. His ADOT remained unchanged, meaning he wasn't really being asked to explore a new area of the field despite Allen being added to the roster, but his drop rate went up (4.5% to 5.7%) and his broken tackle rate went down (8.2 receptions per broken tackle to 13.2).
When Justin Herbert threw to Ladd in 2024, his passer rating was a stellar 123. Five interceptions on passes intended for McConkey in 2025 helped lower that number to 84.2. Despite that, Ladd earned roughly the same amount of targets in both seasons.
But why is there reason for optimism moving forward?
The one stat Ladd McConkey led the Chargers in last season? Yards after the catch (and YAC per reception, if you prefer an average over a total). He led the team in YAC his rookie season, too.
What McConkey lacks in athleticism, he makes up for with smart decision-making. He's been put out on punt returns for the Chargers because of his secure hands and ability to read blocks like a running back. I think Mike McDaniel's offense is going to turn this into a much sharper weapon than it has been.
If Keenan Allen doesn't return, or even if he does, I imagine McDaniel is going to lean on some of the standard elements of his offense that found success getting the ball into the hands of smaller WRs with great vision like Deebo Samuel and Tyreek Hill to create space for McConkey to run with the ball in his hands (after the catch or even out of the backfield, which he has never done in the NFL).