The Los Angeles Chargers are staring at an ugly early-season mess, and it has already put Khalil Mack’s future into the conversation.
After an 0-3 start to the 2026 NFL season, the Chargers have little to cling to. Even a Week 3 performance in which the defense forced Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills into five turnovers wasn’t enough to salvage a win. That kind of loss leaves a team in a dangerous spot, and it could push Los Angeles toward tough roster decisions.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Mack is a legitimate trade candidate because he’s on an expiring contract and playing for a team that isn’t winning.
“Khalil Mack is in a similar situation. Last year of his contract, on a team that is not winning," Schefter said. "The Chargers need to turn it around to keep him; if not, they'll be getting calls about his availability."
After two trades last week, here are more names to monitor ahead of next month’s #NFL trade deadline. https://t.co/i9XdEC0oPQ
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 4, 2026
The Chargers head into Week 4 against the Seattle Seahawks still winless, and the road only gets tougher from there. With that kind of schedule in front of them, Los Angeles could be forced into seller mode before the November 10 trade deadline.
There are other names to watch, including Quentin Johnston and David Njoku, but Mack is the one who stands out as the most realistic major move. He’s a veteran edge rusher, a potential future Hall of Famer, and someone the Chargers would clearly rather keep if the season can be salvaged.
That’s the tension here. Mack is a beloved franchise figure and a player finishing off a Hall of Fame resume, but the reality of his one-year deal and the Chargers’ record makes him hard to ignore in trade chatter.
If Los Angeles keeps sliding and falls out of the playoff picture over the next few weeks, offers for Mack will have to be taken seriously. A deal would hurt, but if the Chargers decide to reset their direction, moving him for a quality mid-round pick could be the move that makes the most sense.
In Other News...
Ladd McConkey's Status Just Became A Huge Chargers Concern
Ladd McConkey has been dealing with multiple injuries through the first three games of the season, and the Chargers have already felt the ripple effect. Even while operating with limited reps, he still leads the team in catches and receiving yards, which tells you how much the offense has leaned on him and how thin the margin has become at receiver. With the passing game still searching for steadier production, his ability to stay on the field has quickly become one of the more important storylines in Los Angeles.
The wider concern is what happens if McConkey is slowed any further, because the depth behind him has not been steady enough to absorb the loss. Injuries and uneven play have left the group unstable, and the Chargers have not had many reliable answers outside their top target. For a team trying to keep its passing attack functional early in the season, McConkeys status is no longer just a health note. It is a central part of the offensive picture. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Face A Week 4 Availability Problem They Can't Ignore
The Chargers final injury report for Week 4 brought a little clarity, but not nearly enough to call it settled. Khalil Mack, Bud Dupree, Justin Eboigbe and Keaton Mitchell are listed as probable for Sundays game against the Seahawks, while Kayode Awosika, Brennen Thompson and Dalvin Tomlinson have already been ruled out, leaving Trevor Penning and others to help cover the missing pieces.
The bigger concern is the group still sitting in limbo. Ladd McConkey, Derwin James Jr., Donte Jackson, Elijah Molden and Trey Lance are all questionable, and their status will be watched closely right up to kickoff. For a team trying to manage a short-week routine and keep its lineup intact, the margin for error suddenly looks a lot thinner than it did earlier in the week. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Face An Early Season Test They Cant Afford To Flunk
The early-season picture is already getting uncomfortable in Los Angeles, where the Chargers 0-3 start has turned Sundays trip to Seattle into more than just another NFC matchup on the schedule. In a league where September losses can linger deep into the fall, the margin for error is disappearing fast, and the Seahawks game now looks like one of those tests that can shape the rest of the year before October even arrives.
The stakes are even broader across the standings, with the Texans also staring at an 0-3 hole and the Rams trying to steady a 1-2 start against the Eagles. For the Chargers, though, the focus is simple enough: avoid letting an early skid snowball into a full-blown chase mode, because playoff hopes can fray quickly when a team is already digging out from the bottom this soon. [Read more 🡒]