The Chargers are staring at a deadline that should leave no room for hesitation. At 0-7, this season has already gone off the rails, and the smartest move now is to stop pretending a quick fix is coming. General manager Joe Hortiz needs to shift the focus from salvaging the present to building for what comes next, and that means being willing to move veteran pieces while they still have value.
That starts with Khalil Mack. He is the easiest name on the board for Los Angeles to shop, and the logic is simple: he can still help a contender, and the Chargers have little reason to keep him around for a season that is already lost.
If there is interest in his services, Hortiz should cash in and get whatever draft compensation he can. Keeping him through the rest of this year would only waste a chance to improve the team’s future.
Mack should not be the only player available, either. Tuli Tuipulotu, Quentin Johnston, Dalvin Tomlinson, Denzel Perryman, and Tony Jefferson are all players Hortiz should at least explore moving. Some of those veterans are nearing the end of their current contracts, which only strengthens the case for dealing them now rather than risking losing them for nothing later.
Reports suggest Hortiz may not be eager to sell, but that would be the wrong instinct. The Chargers are not one or two additions away from suddenly becoming relevant, and even a win Sunday against the Houston Texans would not change that. Los Angeles has struggled against Houston for quite some time, and one upset would not magically turn this into a playoff team.
The bigger issue is what this season has exposed about the roster and the direction of the franchise. Hortiz has generally done a solid job identifying talent in the NFL Draft, but that hasn’t translated into results here.
The season has been disastrous, and the decision to hire Mike McDaniel has not produced the expected results for Justin Herbert. Herbert’s play has become one of the biggest concerns around the organization.
That is why the deadline has to be about Herbert first. The Chargers cannot afford to waste another year of his prime - take that word with a grain of salt - while convincing themselves this roster is close. His development and long-term success need to drive every move they make.
There is also a bigger prize to keep in view: Jeremiah Smith. Los Angeles needs to put itself in position to land a top-three selection in the 2027 NFL Draft, and Smith represents a chance to reshape Herbert’s offensive environment in a major way. The Chargers have not consistently given their quarterback the kind of offensive talent that can lift his game, and Smith has the potential to change that immediately.
Of course, the Chargers can’t control the rest of the league. What they can control is their own approach. Selling veterans, leaning into younger players, and protecting future draft assets would give them a better shot at that opportunity.
The organization also has to figure out what went wrong with McDaniel and whether he is the right person to keep leading Herbert. Smith would help, but one draft pick will not solve everything.
For Los Angeles, the choice is uncomfortable but clear. If the Chargers keep acting like they are one winning streak away from contention, they will only delay the hard reset they need. Hortiz has to be willing to make the unpopular moves, even if they come with short-term pain.
In Other News...
Justin Herbert Faces A Bigger Chargers Problem Than Rival Trash Talk
A week after a loss, Justin Herbert found himself answering for more than the Chargers record. Rams safety Quentin Lake took aim at the quarterbacks recent play, and the comments quickly turned into another layer of scrutiny around a season that has already left Los Angeles searching for answers. Jim Harbaugh stepped in to defend Herbert, while Herbert said he had not even been aware of what was said, a reminder that the noise around the team is growing louder than the results on the field.
For Herbert, the larger issue is not a rivals criticism so much as the way the Chargers have looked while staying winless. The conversation has shifted from isolated mistakes to a broader concern about whether the offense is getting enough from its franchise quarterback, and whether the team can stabilize before the outside chatter starts to feel like the easy part of the problem. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Herbert And The Chargers Are Now Getting Mocked By Opponents
The Chargers latest loss only added to the frustration around a season that has gone off the rails, and it also produced an unflattering side note for Justin Herbert. After the Rams beat Los Angeles, Rams safety Quentin Lake had plenty to say about Herberts passing game, turning a routine rivalry result into another reminder of how rough things have become for the Chargers offense.
Herbert finished 24 of 32 for 257 yards, but the numbers came with two interceptions and no touchdowns, and the Chargers remain stuck at the bottom of the league in scoring. For a team already searching for answers at 0-7, getting mocked by an opponent after the fact is the kind of extra sting that tends to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Harbaugh Doubles Down As Chargers Offense Faces Early Pressure
The Chargers are still searching for their first win, and Jim Harbaugh is not making a change at the top of the offense. He confirmed that Mike McDaniel will keep calling plays, a sign the team is sticking with its current structure even as the early-season pressure grows around a unit that has yet to find its footing.
That leaves the focus on execution rather than a shakeup, with the burden shifting back to the players to sort out what has gone wrong. Around the division, the conversation is already turning to other quarterbacks and other fronts, but for the Chargers the immediate question remains whether this offense can settle in before the frustration starts to build even more. [Read more 🡒]