The Chargers are headed out of their bye week with a mess of an offense, a winless record and a defense that has somehow become one of the more interesting parts of their season.
That unit has done real work for Chris O’Leary in his first year calling plays. Through six games, the Chargers have forced 10 turnovers, which ties them for third in the NFL and puts them just one behind the Packers and Seahawks at the top.
It’s an eye-catching number, and it stands out even more because most of the teams near the top of the takeaway leaderboard are sitting at .500 or better. Los Angeles, meanwhile, has turned those extra possessions into nothing in the win column.
The defense hasn’t been spotless. The Chargers have been leaky against the run, giving up about 124 rushing yards per game and nine rushing touchdowns, numbers that land them in the bottom third of the league.
Even so, Jim Harbaugh has been direct about where he believes the problems are. He has made it clear the defense is not the issue he’s trying to fix, and he has said he plans to lean on that group even more after the break.
That leaves the Chargers in an awkward spot as the November 10 trade deadline approaches, because the same defensive players helping keep the team afloat are also the ones who could draw the most interest from other clubs.
Khalil Mack is the obvious name to watch. He’s near the top of just about every list of potential sellers, and it’s easy to see why: he’s still performing at a high level, and he has never won a playoff game in his career. Projections place his value somewhere between an early Day 3 pick and a third-round selection, which makes him the kind of veteran rental contenders often chase late in the year.
Tuli Tuipulotu is a trickier call. He’s young, ascending and productive, and he’s entering the final year of his rookie deal without an extension in place. Trading him would bring back a meaningful return, but it would also mean dealing away a potential cornerstone at a premium position, especially with rookie Akheem Mesidor already looking like a promising partner on the edge.
And it’s not just those two. Bud Dupree, Daiyan Henley, Donte Jackson, Denzel Perryman and Dalvin Tomlinson are all in contract years, giving general manager Joe Hortiz plenty of options if he decides the Chargers should sell.
In Other News...
Chargers O-Line Questions Keep Growing Around Branson Taylor
Branson Taylor was supposed to be part of the Chargers long-term answer up front after a strong offseason put him in the mix for a starting guard job next year. Instead, the second-year lineman opened the season on injured reserve, and even after being designated to return in October, his path back onto the field has stayed murky. What looked like a promising step forward in camp has turned into another question mark for an offensive line that has had plenty of them.
The part that stands out now is not just Taylors absence, but how the Chargers have filled the spot around him. The team has leaned on two rookie sixth-round picks instead, while offering little clarity on why Taylor has not been used since his return designation. For a player who seemed positioned to compete for a bigger role, the silence has only added to the intrigue around his health and the teams plans for him moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Bye Week Puts Joe Hortiz Under Pressure To Pick A Direction
With the bye week arriving before the trade deadline, the Chargers are in an uncomfortable holding pattern. They are winless, dealing with significant injuries and staring at two games that could shape how the front office handles the rest of the season. For now, the impression around the team is that Joe Hortiz and the brass are not rushing into moves, preferring to keep their options open rather than chase a quick fix.
Still, this feels like a decision point more than a pause. Hortiz and president of football operations John Spanos have to weigh short-term pain against the value of future draft capital, and the next result could matter more than anything said this week. If the losses keep piling up, the front office may find it harder to stay patient, and the conversation around the deadline could shift fast. [Read more 🡒]
Khalil Mack Just Became A Chargers Trade Deadline Storyline Again
Khalil Mack is back in the middle of trade deadline chatter, and it comes with an old twist for the Chargers. The veteran edge rusher spent four seasons in Chicago before joining Los Angeles, and with the deadline approaching, the conversation around him is picking up again as teams look for help on the edge.
Ian Rapoport mentioned the Bears as a possible fit, which makes for a notable layer here given Macks history with that franchise. Chicago has a need at edge rusher, and for the Chargers, any real discussion around Mack will naturally invite questions about whether a familiar suitor can turn a familiar name into a deadline move. [Read more 🡒]