“Just how to stay composed and game-time situations,” Johnston said of what he’s learned from Williams. “It kind of seems, I guess silly because I’ve been through college and all type stuff you don’t really think it’s that much of a difference but it really is, just everything that comes with it too. Not only stuff on the field, but off the field, how to stay out of the way, don’t really get into too much. On the field as far as routes, he’s one of the best attacking the ball and air. Really going back and forth with him on that and from watching him on the field and in meetings we go back and forth all the time. Just small stuff like that.”
Johnston also feels an advantage learning from Palmer, a third-year WR who was relied upon heavily last season once both veteran WRs missed time due to injury. Palmer, too, is expected to see a bigger role with Williams out and he’s poised to step up after proving at a year ago, but that won’t change his weekly preparation.
“I prepare as if I’m the number one all the time, since I’ve been a rookie,” Palmer said. “When I have to step into the roles it’s not that I have to change anything that I’m doing or change the way that I’m working. Keenan is still there with me with me, side by side. It’s not going to be like Atlanta where I was the only one or Arizona where I was kind of the only one out there without my guys. It’s a team effort. With Mike down the whole team has to pick up the slack.”
With quarterback Justin Herbert at the helm, it’s also no wonder Palmer remains confident the rest of the way.
“We are unstoppable,” he said. “I know anybody can step down and we can be unstoppable because that’s how much faith we have in the other guys. Losing Mike, obviously it hurts a lot. You see the plays that he makes all the time but we have good coaches, a good team and we’re going to be able to bounce back fine.”
The Chargers host the Raiders in what is the team’s first divisional matchup of the 2023 season on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
