The Los Angeles Chargers are staring at a reality no NFL team has ever escaped: since the merger began in 1965, nobody has started 0-6 and still made the playoffs. That history leaves the Bolts with a hard choice, and the clearest move may be to start thinking beyond this season.
One name sits right at the center of that discussion: Khalil Mack. At 35, he’s in the twilight of his career, and he still doesn’t have a playoff win to his name.
If the Chargers keep him through another lost season, that drought could easily continue. Moving him now would give the team another draft pick and give Mack a better shot at postseason success somewhere else.
Before the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Mack addressed the trade chatter with this: “I just got total faith in this team and this organization.… I have breath in my lungs,” According to Joaquin Ruiz, he said the latter half with a smile.
Mack appears willing to ride this out, even with the season headed the wrong way. The bigger question is whether the Chargers are willing to keep absorbing losses while also risking the chance to turn a veteran into future value. At 0-6, that’s a tough sell.
If Los Angeles decides to pull the trigger, teams such as the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams are obvious places to watch. The estimated return: a 2027 third-round selection and a 2028 sixth-round selection.
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Chargers Trade Deadline Could Force Joe Hortiz To Admit The Obvious
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That conversation naturally puts veterans and younger standouts alike into view, with names such as Khalil Mack, Derwin James Jr. and Quentin Johnston circulating in the broader discussion about what comes next. However the Chargers choose to frame it, the question is no longer whether the deadline matters, but how much of the present they are willing to sacrifice in order to reshape the future. [Read more 🡒]