The Chargers keep searching for something to hang their hat on, and Week 6 offered a mix of small wins and bruising reminders of why this season has gone off the rails. After a heavy loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles fell to 0-6, the worst mark in the NFL, with the Miami Dolphins as the only other winless team.
Even in a season this rough, a few players are trying to build some kind of case for the future. Cam Hart is one of them.
The fifth-round pick has lived in that in-between space since being drafted in 2024 - borderline starter, big flashes, then long stretches interrupted by injuries. He has had moments like shutting down Ja’Marr Chase, but the health issues have kept him from locking in a real role.
In Week 6, though, he gave the Chargers something to work with, finishing with four tackles and a red zone interception. If he can stay on the field and keep producing like that, he should be sticking around.
Dalvin Tomlinson has also been part of the push to stabilize the defense. Brought in to help a run defense that needed more from the interior, the veteran nose tackle has been mostly steady under new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary.
Week 6 was his roughest showing since returning from injury, though, as a missed tackle for loss in the red zone opened the door for Kenneth Walker to score and widen the gap. Even so, he remains an easy bounce-back candidate.
There was at least some life from KeAndre Lambert-Smith after his return from injured reserve earlier in the week. He hadn’t seen any offensive action this season before being asked to step into a much bigger role with so few healthy pass catchers available.
Lambert-Smith responded with five catches for 32 yards, which gave the offense a little boost. But the late fourth-quarter fumble was a killer, and it effectively shut the door on the game.
He’ll be looking to move into the win column next week.
Oronde Gadsden II’s 2026 season has been strange almost from the start, with his role bouncing around from TE1 to TE3 and then back to TE1 because of injuries. The problem is that the production hasn’t matched the opportunities.
He has dropped multiple passes and hasn’t looked like the rookie-year player the Chargers need. In Week 6, he caught three passes for 17 yards, but the drop in the end zone was the moment that stood out.
He needs a turnaround fast if he wants a role in 2027.
Omarion Hampton has had a similarly odd year. After back-to-back fumbles to open the season, his workload shrank and he became much less of a factor for the offense and in fantasy leagues.
That changed a bit in Week 6, when he got a more reasonable workload and some work as a receiver. He finished with 18 rushing yards and 21 receiving yards, which at least gives the Chargers something to build on.
Ladd McConkey, meanwhile, has had one of the toughest seasons on the roster. Injuries have already cost him weeks, and against the Chiefs he was supposed to finally be back at full strength.
Instead, he was quickly ruled out with a concussion early in the first quarter. If he wants to get into extension conversations, he needs a healthy run to close out the 2026 season.
In Other News...
Chargers Trade Debate Comes Down To Helping Justin Herbert One Way
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the Chargers are weighing whether a modest move could make a real difference around Justin Herbert. The front office is looking at affordable additions who might help both the depth chart and the passing game, with names such as Malik Herring, Dylan Cook, Calvin Ridley and others surfacing as possible fits if the price stays in late-round pick territory.
Jerry Jeudy has come up as one receiver option who could be available at a low cost, which would at least give the Chargers another layer of playmaking if they choose to lean that direction. Austin Jackson is another name being floated as a possible tackle target if Miami decides to sell, and that is the kind of practical, health-of-the-roster question Los Angeles has to answer before time runs out. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Winless Start Puts Omarion Hampton Decision Under Fire
A winless start tends to put every personnel decision under a microscope, and Omarion Hampton has already found himself at the center of that conversation. With the Chargers trying to steady themselves early, the usage of the rookie running back has drawn attention, especially as the offense looks for answers and consistency around its backfield rotation.
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said the approach has been driven by game situations rather than any larger shift in how the staff views Hampton. The discussion around his playing time has only sharpened because of how the Chargers have been handling key snaps in the backfield, making it another small but telling sign of how much scrutiny comes with an 0- start. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Could Still Move An Unexpected Veteran Before The Deadline
The Chargers are still being cast as one of the leagues more interesting teams to watch before the deadline, not just because of what they might do, but because of the kind of veterans who could be in play. With the club holding the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, theres plenty of curiosity around whether it will turn established players into help for someone else, and veteran cornerback Donte Jackson has emerged as one name worth monitoring along with bigger names such as Khalil Mack, Quentin Johnston and David Njoku.
Jacksons situation is especially notable because of his expiring contract and the ballhawking ability he has shown in the past, which can make a corner appealing to a contender looking for immediate help. The injury piece complicates things, though, since a hamstring issue has limited him to four games this season and leaves his availability and value as the deadline approaches very much in question. [Read more 🡒]