The Kansas City Chiefs are back from their bye and staring down a Week 6 meeting with the winless Los Angeles Chargers, a game that gives them a shot to add to an already ugly start for a division rival. Kansas City is also in a position it wasn’t in last year: after bouncing back from a 6-11 2025 campaign, the Chiefs are being viewed as buyers with the trade deadline approaching.
That’s why one possibility has started to stand out - and it would be a rare one. On Tuesday, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay floated the idea of an intra-AFC West move that would send Chargers pass rusher Khalil Mack to Kansas City.
“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 beyond his peak, but he is still producing enough to matter. He had 5.5 sacks last season and has three so far this year. That matters for a Chiefs defense that sits dead last in sacks, tied with the Miami Dolphins at four apiece.
The Chargers were expected to be in the race for the AFC West title. Instead, they’re 0-5 and heading in the wrong direction fast. At this point, the reset button would not be hard to understand, even if it means moving on from stars such as Justin Herbert and Mack.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Travis Kelce Finally Came Around On One Chiefs Drill
Travis Kelce has never been shy about the little irritants that show up in training camp, and one of his longtime pet peeves has been the Peanut Punch defenders use to try to jar the ball loose after catches. It is the kind of drill offensive players tend to hate when they are on the receiving end, especially when it keeps showing up in practice and forces everyone to play through the same sweaty, repetitive stress of ball security work.
Kelce said his view on the tactic has started to soften after seeing it work in a real game, the kind of moment that can make an old gripe look a lot more reasonable. He also brought up a recent Kenneth Walker touchdown run in the conversation, part of a broader acknowledgment that a technique can feel annoying in camp and still be valuable when it turns into an actual turnover on Sundays. [Read more 🡒]