The Chargers’ 0-6 start has put the roster under a microscope, and the bye week only sharpens the focus. With the trade deadline set for November 10th, general manager Joe Hortiz is going to hear from plenty of teams looking to see who’s available in Los Angeles.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero named a long list of Chargers who could draw interest before the week six loss, including Bud Dupree, Daiyan Henley, Donte Jackson, Denzel Perryman, Dalvin Tomlinson, Tuli Tuipulotu, Keaton Mitchell, Kimani Vidal, and Quentin Johnston. He did not include Justin Herbert, and for obvious reasons: moving Herbert would be a financial disaster and, more importantly, “an absolutely insane idea.” He is not going anywhere.
Looking at the league’s trade history, the spots that get moved most often are wide receiver, defensive line or edge rusher, and cornerback. That makes the Chargers’ most plausible chips pretty easy to sort out, especially with the team staring at a lost season and trying to figure out what comes next.
Khalil Mack sits at the top of the list, and he’s the most obvious candidate if he decides he wants out. The veteran edge rusher is still performing at a high level, has the kind of résumé that carries real weight, and has earned the right to decide whether this is the final year of his NFL career.
Even with some reports floating around, he is not the kind of short-term rental that should bring back a Day 2 pick. An early Day 3 selection is a more realistic return.
Los Angeles does have some cover on the edge if Mack moves on. Tuli Tuipulotu and rookie Akheem Mesidor are already starting-caliber options, while Bud Dupree and Caleb Murphy are on the active roster and Andre Carter II is on the practice squad. The room gets thinner without Mack, but the Chargers would not be empty-handed.
Donte Jackson is another name that makes sense in the trade market. Cornerbacks are always in demand, and Jackson has the kind of veteran presence contenders want when injuries hit.
He’s had a few minor injuries this season, but he still profiles as a reliable zone corner with enough savvy to help a team right away. Because he’s on an expiring contract and the Chargers have been scrambling for depth all season, he looks like a player who could be moved for a late Day 3 pick.
The cornerback situation in Los Angeles has already been messy, with the team dipping into the practice squad and signing multiple corners for depth throughout the season. That only raises the odds that Jackson becomes available if the right offer arrives.
On offense, Keaton Mitchell is one of the more interesting names to watch. He was one of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's top free agent requests when he came to Los Angeles, and while the offense has struggled badly, Mitchell has been productive when used.
His contract also gets more expensive, jumping from just over $3.1 million to just over $6.1 million in 2027, which could push the Chargers toward a move if another team comes calling. He would likely bring back a mid-to-late Day 3 pick, or possibly be part of a pick swap.
If the Chargers do move Mitchell, Kimani Vidal is part of that equation too. Vidal is set to be a restricted free agent next offseason, so Los Angeles could simply choose to keep him in-house and deal with any offer then.
The team also has a possible replacement waiting on the practice squad in Greg Desrosiers Jr., whose skill set is very similar. He also handled kick returns and showed he can be a threat in the passing game, which gives the Chargers a ready-made fallback.
Quentin Johnston rounds out the main list, and he may be the receiver most likely to benefit from a fresh start. Wide receiver is the position group most often moved at the deadline, and Johnston has not produced much this year.
Still, his first-round status matters, fair or not, and he had been building momentum over back-to-back ascending seasons in 2024 and 2025 before this year went sideways. He’s under contract through 2027, so a contender looking for help could see enough upside to take a shot.
The return would probably land somewhere in the earlier-to-mid Day 3 range.
There is one reason the Chargers might hesitate on Johnston: the rest of the wide receiver room has also been unable to stay on the field. Even so, Los Angeles has two young receivers in Keandre Lambert-Smith and Theo Wease Jr. who could absorb some of those snaps if Johnston were dealt.
At this point, the expectation is that the Chargers will move at least one player before the deadline. The organization has major questions to answer and a roster that needs sorting out. Since the NFL expanded to a seven-team playoff, midseason trades have become more common, and Los Angeles could use the extra picks in 2027 while giving younger players a chance to prove themselves.
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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 🡒]