The Chargers left Week 4 at 0-4, and the bigger picture around this team is starting to matter more than the weekly result. With playoff hopes essentially gone and major coaching changes possibly on the horizon, the spotlight is shifting toward which players are still trending up and which ones are dragging the roster down.
Oronde Gadsden II landed on the positive side this time after bouncing around on both ends of these lists earlier in his 2026 NFL season. Against the Seahawks, he looked like a steadier piece in the passing game, finishing with five catches for 36 yards and coming up with a juggling fourth-down conversion late in the game.
Tre Harris also kept building on his role in an offense that still doesn’t have much to spare. He gave the Chargers a needed lift, posting a team-high 60 yards on three receptions. Until Quentin Johnston’s 44-yard grab deep in the fourth quarter, Harris was the only wide receiver to record a catch.
On the other side of the ledger, Derius Davis keeps finding his way into the wrong category. He did average 32 yards per return as a kick returner, but the day was defined by a muffed punt that turned into a costly mistake.
Cole Strange’s season has been rough from the start, and Week 4 didn’t do him any favors. He has struggled both in the run game and in pass protection, and at halftime his PFF pass-blocking grade sat at 0.0. Trevor Penning wasn’t far ahead with a 4.9 grade, but Strange remains the bigger concern.
Then there’s Khalil Mack, who continues to be one of the few Chargers making life difficult for opponents. Even in his mid-30s, he turned in another strong outing against a Seattle offensive line that had its hands full, finishing with a sack, a team-high-tying six tackles, and plenty of disruption in the backfield as one of the few reliable run defenders on the roster.
In Other News...
Chargers Trade Buzz Says One Bold Move Could Save This Offense
A 0-4 start has turned the Chargers offense into the focus of the seasons early frustration, and the gap between preseason expectations and what has shown up on Sundays has been hard to ignore. Bleacher Report floated a possible fix, suggesting Los Angeles could try to swing a trade for Marvin Harrison Jr. from the Cardinals in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick, a move aimed at adding the kind of talent this unit has lacked.
It is the sort of idea that instantly grabs attention because of what the Chargers need and what a receiver of Harrisons caliber would represent for the offense. For now, though, it remains a speculative proposal rather than a concrete path, leaving the bigger question hanging over how aggressive Los Angeles might be in trying to salvage a slow-starting season. [Read more 🡒]
Khalil Mack Trade Buzz Is Suddenly A Chargers Problem
With the Chargers stuck at 0-4, the early-season frustration is already spilling beyond their own locker room and into the trade rumor cycle. CBS analyst Kyle Long, who once played for the Bears, floated the idea that Chicago could try to strengthen its Super Bowl case by bringing back Khalil Mack, the former Bears edge rusher now in Los Angeles.
Mack remains one of the leagues most recognizable pass rushers, a nine-time Pro Bowler whose four seasons in Chicago still resonate with Bears fans and evaluators alike. For the Chargers, the talk is another reminder that a slow start can turn even a proven veteran into a speculative trade chip, though there has been no official move or indication that anything is imminent. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Face A Harbaugh Question Fans Never Wanted
The Chargers rough start has turned what was supposed to be a reset around Jim Harbaugh into an uncomfortable conversation about how much patience still remains. An 0-4 record will do that, especially for a coach brought in to steady a franchise that has spent years looking for consistency. Instead of early optimism, the season has quickly shifted to criticism, with Harbaugh taking heat for the teams play and for a public dustup with a reporter that only added to the noise.
The bigger concern is that the questions are no longer limited to one bad stretch. Justin Herberts recent dip has become part of the debate, and some around the league point to injuries and front office decisions as major factors in the mess. Even so, the Chargers margin for error has vanished, and if the results do not turn soon, the discussion around Harbaugh may move from speculation to something much harder to avoid. [Read more 🡒]