The Chargers’ 0-5 start has pushed one familiar name into the trade chatter, and it happens to be a player who could help a cornerback-needy Panthers team.
Los Angeles dropped its third home game in five weeks on Sunday, falling 23-17 to the Denver Broncos and becoming the AFC West’s lone team with a losing record. With Jim Harbaugh’s club still without a win, speculation has already started about whether the Chargers could start dealing off pieces if the season keeps sliding.
Donte Jackson is one of the names drawing attention.
A second-round pick by the Panthers in 2018, Jackson spent six seasons in Charlotte before being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. He made the most of his lone year in Pittsburgh, finishing with six takeaways, including a career-high five interceptions.
He then landed with the Chargers in 2025 on a two-year deal and played in all 17 games, recording four interceptions and 12 passes defensed. But this season has been a much quieter one. Jackson has been limited to 113 defensive snaps across four games, missed last week’s game against Denver, and has posted eight tackles, two passes defensed and one forced fumble.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report sees the Panthers as a possible destination, along with the Buffalo Bills, and pointed to Jackson’s health, contract situation and the Chargers’ record as reasons he could become available.
“Teams may not be eager to make a move for Jackson until he's clearly healthy (hamstring),” stated Knox, “but he's a player worth targeting before November 10. The Los Angeles Chargers appear to be going nowhere this season after a 0-5 start and numerous injuries across the roster. Jackson, meanwhile, plays an in-demand position and is set to be a free agent in 2027-trading him would save L.A. $6 million in 2026 cap space.”
“Jackson started 15 games for the Chargers last season,” added Knox,” and allowed an opposing passer rating of only 56.8 in coverage.”
The fit in Carolina is obvious enough. The Panthers are dealing with injuries to starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, both on injured reserve, and Knox projects Jackson could be available for a fifth-round pick in 2027.
Still, the whole idea hinges on the Chargers deciding to give up on the season. For now, Los Angeles is off to its worst start since 2003, while Carolina owns its best start since 2021 and is trying to stay afloat until Horn and Jackson return.
In Other News...
Panthers Suddenly Catch A Huge Break Before Eagles Showdown
The Panthers trip to Philadelphia just got a lot more interesting. Jalen Hurts will miss the upcoming game against Carolina after the Eagles medical staff found a superficial blood clot in his calf during an ultrasound, sidelining the quarterback while the team figures out the right treatment path.
For Carolina, the change reshapes a matchup that had already loomed large on the schedule. Hurts is the kind of player who tilts a game from the opening series, so the Eagles now have to turn to backup options Tanner McKee or Cole Payton if they want to keep the offense on track against a Panthers defense that suddenly sees a very different challenge ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Penix Jr Just Sent Falcons Fans An Encouraging Signal
Michael Penix Jr. got back on the practice field after the ribs injury that had slowed him down, and he said afterward that he feels ready for Week 6. For a Falcons offense trying to steady itself, that is the kind of update that matters, especially with a division opponent like Carolina watching every sign of how Atlanta will line up next.
On the Panthers side, Ejiro Evero took a measured approach when discussing Akayleb Evans' Week 4 performance, pointing to mistakes that need cleaning up while also expressing confidence that the cornerback can fix them. In a division where small breakdowns can swing games, Carolina is keeping an eye on both the Falcons' health and its own defensive growing pains. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Just Got Pulled Into A Dangerous Justin Herbert Debate
Justin Herbert chatter has a way of pulling other teams into the conversation, and Carolina is one of them. The Panthers have spent the better part of the past two seasons trying to settle the quarterback position around Bryce Young, so any discussion about a star passer potentially available naturally turns the spotlight back on what Carolina has, what it still needs, and how much patience remains in a rebuild that is still taking shape.
Bryce Youngs name coming up in the same breath only sharpens the debate, because any path to Herbert would almost certainly force Carolina to weigh its own recent investment against the chance to reset the position again. There is no confirmed move here, just a speculative market built around performance, contracts and team need, but the fact that the Panthers are even part of the hypothetical says plenty about how unsettled the quarterback picture still feels. [Read more 🡒]