The Kansas City Chiefs are back from their bye and heading into Week 6 with a chance to keep pushing a rival deeper into the mess. They’ll face the winless Los Angeles Chargers, who sit at 0-5, as Kansas City looks to finish a sweep of its first divisional matchups.
With the trade deadline approaching, the Chiefs are being viewed as buyers after bouncing back from a rough 2025 season that ended at 6-11. They already added wide receiver Justin Watson, and now Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay floated a much bigger move on Tuesday: an unusual intra-division trade that would send Khalil Mack to Kansas City.
Kay pointed out that the Chiefs may not have a ton of financial flexibility, but Mack’s contract makes the idea more workable than it first appears. “Although the Chiefs don’t have much financial wiggle room to make blockbuster trades, Mack is surprisingly affordable.
He’s on a one-year, $18 million contract that included a $10 million signing bonus, which means he would only be owed a shade over $6 million if he were dealt at this point in the campaign. That one-year deal, coupled with the Los Angeles Chargers’ 0-5 start, makes an intra-AFC West trade more realistic.”
Mack is 35 and clearly no longer at the peak of his powers, but he still has something left in the tank. The nine-time Pro Bowler had 5.5 sacks last season and already has three this year. That kind of production would be welcome in Kansas City, where the defense is tied with the Miami Dolphins for last in the league with four sacks.
The Chargers came into the season with divisional hopes of their own, but that plan has fallen apart quickly. Instead of chasing the AFC West race, they’re staring at the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft. At that point, moving veterans like Mack, and even Justin Herbert, would fit the idea of a reset.
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Chiefs Trade Idea Would Fix A Big Need And Sting A Rival
With the bye week behind them, the Chiefs are moving back toward the field with a clear eye on the trade deadline, and the appeal is obvious: help a defense that has struggled badly to get after the quarterback. Kansas City enters the stretch as a buyer, and any move aimed at boosting a pass rush that sits last in sacks would immediately become one of the most practical ways to steady the second half of the season.
One name that has surfaced fits both the football need and the AFC West drama. Khalil Mack is still a nine-time Pro Bowler, and his situation with the Chargers has made him a possible fit for a team looking for a proven edge presence without a long-term commitment. For Kansas City, the attraction is not just the help he could provide, but the chance to make a rival weaker while trying to solve a glaring weakness of its own. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs May Need Kahlil Benson For More Than Just Left Tackle
Josh Simmons back injury has already forced the Chiefs to adjust at left tackle for the first four games, and Kahlil Benson has been the one keeping that spot steady in the meantime. Even with Simmons sidelined and no official timetable in sight, Bensons value to Kansas City may go beyond simply filling in on the edge, especially for a line that has had to manage its depth carefully as the season unfolds.
Benson has taken guard work as well, and that kind of flexibility can matter for a Chiefs front that still needs answers on the interior. If and when Simmons is ready to return, the conversation may not just be about who protects the blind side, but about where Benson fits best when the tackle picture settles down. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Already Look Different With Kenneth Walker Carrying The Load
Kenneth Walker III has changed the look of the offense in Kansas City almost as soon as he arrived. Through four games with the Chiefs, he has piled up 537 rushing yards and quickly become a central piece of what the team is trying to do on that side of the ball, helping fuel four wins and giving the attack a sturdier identity on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks are still searching for answers in the backfield after moving on from Walker. Jadarian Price is on injured reserve with a chest injury, and the other replacement options have not come close to matching his impact, leaving Seattle with a run game that has struggled to find traction. It is the kind of roster turn that can alter a season in a hurry, and it has only sharpened the contrast between what Kansas City has gained and what Seattle is still trying to replace. [Read more 🡒]