The Chargers’ 0-4 start has already pushed one uncomfortable question to the front of the conversation: if this season keeps going off the rails, does Khalil Mack become a trade candidate?
Adam Schefter floated that possibility Monday on The Pat McAfee Show, though he was careful to draw a line between speculation and current reality. Los Angeles is not actively shopping Mack right now. But with the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaching, Schefter said the calculus could change fast if the losses keep stacking up.
“The Chargers are 0-4, and Khalil Mack is in the last year of his contract… they are not looking to trade Khalil Mack, but as we get closer to the Nov. 10th trade deadline - if those losses pile up and there is a team that needs a pass rusher, and a team calls them up, why would you not send him somewhere and get something back for him?” Schefter said.
That’s the key distinction: this is not a report that the Chargers have started moving Mack around. It’s a scenario, one that becomes more realistic the longer Los Angeles stays buried in the standings.
Mack is back on a one-year deal worth $18 million, fully guaranteed, and at 35 he’s still producing. The problem for the Chargers is obvious enough. An expiring contract forces a hard look at the future, especially if the team falls farther out of the race.
For general manager Joe Hortiz, a trade would at least open the door to some kind of return - maybe draft capital, maybe a younger player. Schefter pointed to a fourth-, fifth- or sixth-round pick as the sort of package that could come into play.
None of that makes moving Mack easy. He set the Chargers’ single-season franchise record with 17 sacks in 2023, and he has served as a defensive captain during his time with the team. He’s not just a pass rusher on a short-term deal; he’s been one of the defining players on the defense.
Still, the longer this season goes sideways, the tougher it gets to ignore the business side of it. Mack could still help a contender in January, and the Chargers could use the chance to get something back before his contract runs out.
Los Angeles has time to change the picture with wins. But until that happens, Schefter’s question hangs there: if the season is slipping away anyway, why not consider a return for an expiring veteran?
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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 🡒]