The Chargers are 0-6, on a bye, and still not acting like a team ready to tear it all down. According to Jeremy Fowler, Los Angeles is still taking calls but hasn’t shown any real urgency to move veterans, even with the Nov. 10 deadline still ahead.
“Chargers, at 0-6, still giving impression they are standing pat. But a long way till Nov. 10 deadline, and Chargers are receiving calls.”
If the Chargers do decide to swing big, Quenton Nelson is the kind of name that would force the conversation. The Indianapolis Colts guard is 30 years old and already has a résumé that screams future Hall of Famer: 3x First Team All-Pro selections, 3x Second Team All-Pro selections and eight straight Pro Bowl selections.
That level of player is never cheap, but Nelson’s contract situation could change the math. A new deal would almost certainly be massive, likely pushing north of 25 million a year and clearing the current league leader, Titans Peter Skoronski. Because of that looming payday, the trade price may not land in the multiple first-round pick range some fans would imagine.
A deal built around the Chargers’ 2027 second-round pick, projected at No. 33, and a 2027 fourth-round pick, projected at No. 107, would be the framework here. In that setup, the Colts would get the second-rounder, while the Chargers would bring in Nelson and get the fourth-rounder back.
Finding a clean comp for a move like this is tough. Since 2020, there really hasn’t been much that matches Nelson’s blend of age, stature and contract need. The closest parallels are the Joe Thuney deal, when the Chiefs sent the then-31-year-old to the Bears for a fourth-round pick, and the Trent Williams trade, when the 31-year-old tackle went to the 49ers for a third- and fifth-round pick.
Those examples suggest Nelson would not necessarily cost the Chargers a haul of premium firsts. He’s an older veteran and he needs a new deal, but he’s also one of the best guards in football. A second-rounder as valuable as No. 33 could be enough to get Indianapolis to listen, especially with a fourth-rounder coming back the other way.
And if Los Angeles is going to make one meaningful move while this season is hanging in the balance, Nelson might be the one worth making. He would give the Chargers a major piece up front and a clear help to Justin Herbert, even if the payoff is more about 2027 than anything immediate.
In Other News...
Chargers Veteran Already Caught In Trade Talk After 0-6 Start
The Chargers 0-6 start has already pushed the conversation toward the future, and that means the trade market is starting to come into focus. ESPN NFL insider Bill Barnwell recently identified Dalvin Tomlinson as a possible name to watch, a notable twist for a veteran defensive tackle who signed with Los Angeles on a one-year deal only this offseason.
Tomlinson is in his 10th NFL season and has played in four games for the Chargers so far, recording eight tackles while trying to steady a defense that has plenty of questions ahead of it. A move would not be a surprise with the Chargers in evaluation mode, and the possibility of his path eventually looping back to familiar territory only adds another layer to a situation that could develop quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Just Claimed The NFL Spot Every Contender Wants
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For a team trying to stay relevant in the AFC race, the contrast is hard to ignore. The Chargers now sit in a spot no contender wants, and the rest of the league is already starting to separate into teams that have found a rhythm and teams still searching for answers, with Tennessees recent slide and internal tension only adding to the sense that the early-season standings are already exposing some uncomfortable truths. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Bye Week Puts Joe Hortiz Under Pressure To Pick A Direction
With the bye week arriving at a difficult moment, Joe Hortiz and the Chargers front office are staring at a roster that has been battered by injuries and a record that leaves little room for comfort. The trade deadline is approaching with two games still left before it hits, and for now the team is giving the impression that it will stay quiet rather than start moving pieces around.
Los Angeles, though, is in a spot where every result seems to narrow the range of possible decisions. Hortiz and John Spanos have to weigh short-term losses against future draft capital, and the next two games will go a long way toward shaping whether this becomes a patient reset or a more urgent search for help. If the losses keep piling up, the pressure to pick a direction will only get louder. [Read more 🡒]