The Los Angeles Chargers are already staring at an uncomfortable decision, and Khalil Mack is right in the middle of it.
At 0-4 after Sunday’s loss in Seattle, the Chargers have given the league plenty of reason to wonder whether Mack could be moved before the Nov. 10 deadline. Adam Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday that the team is not actively shopping him, but if the losses keep piling up, it becomes harder to justify holding onto him.
That kind of front-office logic is pretty straightforward: “not looking to trade” can quickly turn into not looking to trade yet.
Mack’s contract only adds to the pressure. He returned on a one-year, $18 million deal with every dollar guaranteed.
The $10 million signing bonus is already accounted for, which means a new team would be taking on roughly $8 million. For a contender, that’s the kind of number you pay for depth - and in this case, the return would be a nine-time Pro Bowler.
The Chargers have to decide what matters more: keeping a veteran who is still helping right now, or turning him into something for later. Mack is 35, nearly retired last offseason, and not part of the next version of this team.
If this season keeps slipping away, holding him through it would leave Los Angeles with nothing. Trading him would at least bring back a pick.
Even now, he’s still producing. After a quiet opener, Mack has recorded a sack in three straight games, and he has played every meaningful snap in his 13th season. He’s not the force who used to blow up games in Oakland, but he still finishes plays.
His 17 sacks in 2023 remain the Chargers’ single-season record, and he has worn the captain’s label throughout his time there. Players like that are not easy to move, and Jim Harbaugh doesn’t come across like a coach who would wave the white flag in October.
Still, the market reality is clear. The expected return would be modest, with a Day 3 pick in the fourth-to-sixth-round range floated as the realistic price. That fits the profile of a 35-year-old on an expiring deal, even one with Mack’s resume.
The interest would be real, too. Chicago fans have already begun hoping for a reunion, which tells you how quickly contenders start circling when a player like this becomes available.
The Chargers know this territory. They bought at last year’s deadline by adding Odafe Oweh, then watched him leave in free agency. Rentals go both ways, and this time Los Angeles could be the team doing the cashing in.
There is still time for the Chargers to change the story. The Nov. 10 deadline is ahead, and one win won’t rescue a season, but a three-game run could make the whole discussion disappear.
Right now, though, a 0-4 team in the AFC West has very little room to breathe. If October looks anything like September, the choice should not be a difficult one. Mack gets another playoff shot, the Chargers get a pick, and the rebuild starts a little earlier.
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 🡒]