The NFL trade market is already humming, and the Los Angeles Chargers find themselves in a spot they probably didn’t expect to reach this fast.
The Indianapolis Colts have started the selling process, moving Quenton Nelson to Seattle and DeForest Buckner to San Francisco in a single afternoon. Before that, Marvin Harrison Jr., Cam Jurgens, Joey Porter Jr., and J.J.
McCarthy had already been dealt in the weeks leading up to the deadline. With November 10 now less than two weeks away and the Chargers sitting at 0-6, the conversation in Los Angeles has shifted hard.
This isn’t about rescuing the season anymore. It’s about figuring out which parts of the roster can bring back value for what comes next.
That makes Khalil Mack the cleanest trade chip they have.
Mack came into the season after nearly retiring last offseason, then signing another one-year deal in pursuit of the playoff win that has stayed out of reach for 13 seasons. He believed Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert gave him the best path to finally getting there.
Instead, six losses in, the reality is a lot colder. He’s 35.
His contract runs out after the season. And for a team that looks headed toward a reset, holding onto a veteran edge rusher through a lost year only to see him retire or walk in free agency makes little sense.
The Chargers have already lived through that kind of ending. They traded for Odafe Oweh at last year’s deadline and then watched him leave in free agency months later.
On the field, Mack still looks like someone contenders would want. He has three sacks and 16 pressures in six games, and Pro Football Focus has him graded among the top two dozen edge defenders in the league.
He’s been steady against both the run and the pass. For a playoff team with a thin rotation, he’d be exactly the sort of piece that matters in January: a nine-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year who can give you 30 to 40 snaps a week when the games get tight.
The market is already starting to take shape. The Chicago Bears, who originally acquired Mack from the Raiders in 2018 and later sent him to the Chargers in 2022, have reportedly checked in about a return after missing out on Buckner. New England has also been mentioned as a fit.
Buckner’s move is useful as a measuring stick. The Colts got a 2027 fourth-round pick for a 32-year-old interior lineman, and Mack’s age, contract status, and production point to a similar return.
If more than one contender gets involved, the price could climb. But a Day 3 pick is the realistic window for a 35-year-old rental, even if the Chargers have publicly said they are not shopping him.
There are other veterans who could be moved, but none carry Mack’s value. Tuli Tuipulotu is younger, though his contract situation is more complicated. The rest of the roster’s sellable pieces don’t bring the same resume or the same kind of return.
That’s why Mack stands out as the move that turns a lost season into draft capital without taking a bite out of the future. For Los Angeles, it’s a chance to add a pick and start building the roster Harbaugh actually needs. For Mack, it could mean one more shot at the postseason success he came back to chase.
In Other News...
Chargers Face A Bigger Deadline Decision Than Fans Expected
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Los Angeles is also sitting on a striking long-term asset, one that could shape how aggressive the front office wants to be now versus later. The team holds the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft, which gives it a rare chance to target major help at a premium position if it chooses to stay patient. For a roster still searching for stability, the wide receiver conversation is already looming larger than most expected. [Read more 🡒]
Ladd McConkey Has Become A Real Chargers Concern
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For a Chargers offense trying to sharpen its identity, McConkeys availability has become part of the equation as much as his play. He has already navigated a rib injury, a foot issue, and a concussion in 2026, leaving Los Angeles with a familiar question: whether the receiver who flashed top-target potential can finally string together the health and consistency needed to become the centerpiece the Chargers were counting on. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Collapse Has Turned A Justin Herbert Trade Into A Real Debate
The Chargers slide has pushed their trade-deadline plans into territory few would have imagined a month ago, with even Justin Herberts future now surfacing in the conversation. Los Angeles has already been linked to a range of possibilities, from moving veterans such as Khalil Mack to considering younger pieces like Quentin Johnston or Tuli Tuipulotu, but the notion of dealing the franchise quarterback says more about how far the season has unraveled than any actual momentum toward a blockbuster move.
Herbert is the kind of player teams usually build around, not shop, and any potential deal would come with enormous financial and contractual hurdles. Still, the league chatter has been loud enough to make the idea part of the deadline debate, with the Jets mentioned as the most obvious team to watch because of the draft capital they can offer. Even then, Los Angeles would be staring at an extreme set of circumstances before entertaining anything close to a move involving its quarterback, and Herberts ability to control the situation only adds another layer to an already complicated picture. [Read more 🡒]