The Chargers’ season has gone off the rails, and now the wreckage may come with a silver lining that nobody saw coming in Week 8. After a 24-9 loss to the Rams dropped Los Angeles to 0-7, the franchise suddenly sits in position to control the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
That kind of collapse forces every hard conversation at once. Joe Hortiz has to weigh whether the Chargers should become sellers before the trade deadline.
The coaching staff could also be under the microscope if the offense keeps sputtering under Mike McDaniel. Even Jim Harbaugh, who guided the team to back-to-back playoff appearances, could face scrutiny if this roster finishes with the NFL’s worst record.
And then there’s Justin Herbert.
Herbert has not had the season anyone expected, but he is still only in his seventh year and still looks like a top-10 quarterback when he’s right. That creates the central dilemma for Los Angeles: rebuild around him, or use the No. 1 pick to start over at quarterback?
The Chargers do have enough talent on both sides of the ball that a full teardown may not be necessary. That’s what makes the draft slot so interesting.
If the team decides Herbert is no longer the answer, it could target one of the top quarterbacks in the class. But if Los Angeles believes Herbert still has plenty left, the franchise could use that rare pick to give him the kind of weapon he has never had enough of.
In our latest 2027 NFL Mock Draft, the Chargers go with Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith at No. 1 overall.
There is quarterback talent in the class - Drew Mestemaker, Darian Mensah and CJ Carr among them - and that could make a move away from Herbert appealing, especially if the Chargers can pick up extra first-round capital in the process. Still, Los Angeles looks more like a team that can be turned around by adding a star than one that needs to burn it all down.
That’s where Smith enters the picture. The question for Hortiz is simple: is it wiser to launch a new era with a quarterback like Mestemaker, who may need time to develop, or to keep Herbert and hand him a difference-maker like Smith?
A receiver alone won’t solve everything. But Smith could give Herbert a jolt in a season where the quarterback has spent too much time with his head down instead of celebrating.
Herbert likes to let it fly, and Smith fits that style perfectly. He’s a dangerous downfield target, a player who can win the ball in the air no matter where it is, and his ability after the catch, plus his physical edge against cornerbacks, makes him a brutal matchup.
The fit works both ways, too. As much as Herbert needs Smith, the Ohio State star could also thrive with a quarterback who loves to attack.
So even with the Chargers’ season in free fall and the future suddenly up for debate, the No. 1 pick could still change everything. The real prize may not just be Jeremiah Smith. It may be giving Justin Herbert the weapon he has been missing since the days of Keenan Allen and, in the process, getting the best version of Herbert back.
In Other News...
Chargers Collapse Just Put Their Trade Deadline Direction Under A Spotlight
The Chargers 0-7 start has pushed the front office into an uncomfortable spot, with a season that has gone sideways fast now forcing a hard look at the trade market. When a team falls this far behind, every veteran on the roster starts to look like a possible deadline chip, especially with other clubs around the league dealing with injuries and searching for help.
Khalil Mack has been the name most often tied to that conversation, while other players such as Keaton Mitchell, Daiyan Henley and Dalvin Tomlinson have also surfaced as possible assets. For a team trying to salvage value from a lost season, the next move is less about chasing a turnaround and more about deciding which pieces can still bring back something useful before the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Fans Have Every Right To Be Furious About This Offense
Seven straight losses have left the Chargers with nowhere to hide, and the latest 24-9 defeat to the Rams only sharpened the focus on an offense that has gone nowhere fast. Under offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, the unit has looked stuck in neutral, while Justin Herbert has had a season full of frustration as the defense under Chris OLeary has done more to keep games respectable than the offense has done to support it.
The bigger issue is that the Chargers are no longer just dealing with a bad stretch, but with the kind of offensive stagnation that raises questions about the direction of the whole operation. Harbaughs decision to stick with McDaniel through the bye week has only added to the scrutiny, because the losses keep piling up and the offense keeps offering the same empty answers. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Have Hit A Breaking Point And Everyone Sees It
After Week 8, the Chargers are staring at a season that has gone from discouraging to downright alarming. Their loss to the Rams left Los Angeles at 0-7, and with the rest of the league sorting itself out, the Chargers have become the outlier no team wants to be, the only club still searching for its first win.
The latest league-wide power rankings reflect just how far things have slipped, especially when compared with teams like the Dolphins, who are still only 1-6 but have at least shown some fight under first-year coach Jeff Hafley. For the Chargers, the bigger issue is no longer a bad stretch or a few missed chances. It is the reality of where they stand now, and how little room there is left to turn it around. [Read more 🡒]