The Los Angeles Chargers may be 0-7, but they apparently aren’t ready to rip the whole thing apart just yet.
A report ahead of this past weekend said the Chargers were “unwilling to wave any sort of white flag” and had “shut down trade inquiries for” veteran pieces like edge-rusher Khalil Mack and wide receiver Quentin Johnston. That stance still seems to be holding, even after another loss pushed the team to the league’s only winless mark.
After the Chargers dropped to 0-7 on the opening day of November, head coach Jim Harbaugh made it clear where he stood on Mack. Harbaugh said the Chargers “want Khalil Mack here” and that “Mack wants to be here.”
On Wednesday morning, ESPN’s Dan Graziano offered another update that points in the same direction. He said Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz appear serious about not giving up on the rest of the season.
“I’ve been asking teams if they have a sense of what the Chargers are going to do ahead of the trade deadline, and a couple told me over the weekend that they don’t get the sense that Los Angeles is eager to enter teardown mode,” Graziano wrote. “At least entering Sunday, I wasn’t getting the impression that the Chargers were open to trading players to inquiring teams.”
Still, the situation around the franchise is messy enough that the deadline chatter isn’t going away. There’s a real perception that Harbaugh and/or Hortiz could be in danger if the losses keep piling up. Quarterback Justin Herbert has played so poorly since Week 1 that he could be traded in the offseason as part of a larger reset, one that could also bring a regime change.
Graziano also left the door open for movement before Nov. 10.
“We’ll see what this week brings regarding players such as edge-rusher Khalil Mack, wide receiver Quentin Johnston, etc.,” Graziano added about the Chargers.
If Los Angeles does change course, there should be no shortage of interested teams. The Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears have been mentioned as possible fits for a pass-rusher like Mack. On the receiver side, the 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders have been linked with wideouts for weeks.
For now, the Chargers turn to Sunday’s home game against the 2-5 Houston Texans. DraftKings Sportsbook had Los Angeles as a 4.5-point underdog Wednesday morning, and some around the league believe that result could help determine whether the Chargers stay the course or finally slide into teardown mode before Nov. 10.
In Other News...
Chargers May Refuse To Move Tuli Tuipulotu Despite Growing Buzz
Tuli Tuipulotu has become one of the more intriguing names to watch as the NFL trade deadline nears, but the Chargers do not appear eager to turn that interest into a deal. The 24-year-old pass rusher has drawn buzz because of his strong play and the uncertainty around his contract situation, yet Los Angeles is signaling it wants to keep building around its own pieces rather than entertain a move.
The backdrop is simple enough: Tuipulotu is in the final year of his rookie deal, and the long-term picture has already been complicated by failed extension talks. Even with the Chargers stuck in a winless season, the current thinking is that the front office would rather hold onto a productive young defender than shop him for short-term help, which leaves rival teams waiting to see whether that stance changes before the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Catch A Break As Texans Backfield Issue Lingers
Houstons backfield situation is still unsettled as the Texans move through Week 9 without David Montgomery, who has been out with a groin injury and remains on the short-term side of the injury spectrum. He has already missed three games, and because Houston never placed him on injured reserve, the door is still open for a relatively quick return if the recovery keeps trending the right way.
For the Chargers, the immediate takeaway is that they may not have to deal with Montgomery when they face a Texans offense leaning on Woody Marks to handle the rushing load. It is the kind of break that can matter in a tight AFC race, especially with Houston still trying to sort out how soon its lead back can get back into the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Face One Huge Khalil Mack Deadline Question
With the trade deadline approaching, the AFC West has become a familiar kind of chessboard, with teams trying to improve without giving away too much future value. The Broncos are weighing roster upgrades against the need to protect draft picks, while the Chiefs are looking for help at receiver and the Raiders are sorting through their own personnel questions. In the middle of all that movement, the Chargers have a much simpler but still significant issue hanging over them: what to do with Khalil Mack.
Jim Harbaugh has made it clear Mack remains an important part of what the Chargers are building, even as rumors swirl around the veteran pass rusher. For a team trying to stay competitive in a division loaded with deadline intrigue, the question is less about whether Mack still matters and more about how long that matters can hold up if outside interest keeps building before the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]