McConkey largely seems to be evading blame for his sophomore slump, after the 2025 Chargers offense was torpedoed by a rash of offensive line injuries. That's probably fair, considering McConkey averaged 13.9 PPR points and 8.0 targets over his first 10 games, combining strong volume with passable efficiency (7.9 YPT, 63.8 percent catch rate) despite ceding a lot of slot work to Keenan Allen. It was a different story entirely over his final seven games (including playoffs), with McConkey recording no more than six targets, four catches or 43 yards in any one contest as the Chargers went into a run-first shell to keep Justin Herbert alive. Better injury luck in 2026 would go a long way, but the Chargers aren't counting on that alone, hiring former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel to replace Greg Roman as offensive coordinator. McDaniel is bringing FB Alec Ingold with him from Miami, and the Chargers also signed RB Keaton Mitchell and TE Charlie Kolar this offseason. They clearly intend to run the ball, but it sets up favorably for McConkey in terms of per-target efficiency and weak competition for WR snaps.