WR Stevie Johnson signs with San Diego Chargers

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Star WR Stevie Johnson has reportedly signed with the San Diego Chargers for a three-year deal that will team him up with the likes of TE Antonio Gates, WR Keenan Allen and QB Philip Rivers.

Former 49ers and Bills WR Stevie Johnson is signing with the Chargers, as @NBCdianna reported. It is a 3-year deal. SD adds a WR.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2015

According to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC, Johnson chose to sign with the Chargers instead of the New England Patriots.

Stevie Johnson will sign with Chargers per sources. — Dianna Marie Russini (@NBCdianna) March 17, 2015

One of the fastest receivers in the NFL, Johnson is coming off a down year with the San Francisco 49ers in his only year with the team. The 49ers decided to cut Johnson to save themselves about $6 million in cap space.

The 49ers traded a 2015 4th-round draft pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for Johnson on Day 2 of the 2014 NFL draft, hoping that Johnson would return to his 1,000+ yard receiving form that he had maintained from 2010 to 2012 before being injured for four games in 2013.

But the trade for Johnson barely paid off as the wideout would go on to start just one game of his 13 played in San Francisco, and recorded just one game with over 100 receiving yards. Johnson’s 35 catches for 435 receiving yards were both his lowest marks since 2009 – when he caught only two passes in five games played.

From 2010 to 2013, Johnson was a rising star for the Buffalo Bills, recording 289 catches for 3,720 receiving yards and 26 TDs. But his decline in 2013 made him expendable to Buffalo, who had given him a large contract extension but had a hard time building their offense around him under former head coach Doug Marrone.