The Chargers have reached a point where the trade deadline feels less like an opportunity and more like a test of judgment.
At 0-7, Los Angeles is the league’s only winless team, and the season has gone sideways fast. The Chargers haven’t started this badly since 2000, when the franchise was still in San Diego and opened 0-11 on the way to a 1-15 finish. That’s the kind of company this team is keeping now.
The slide has been ugly from the jump. Jim Harbaugh’s team entered 2026 with real expectations after going 11-6 and making the playoffs in each of his first two seasons. Instead, the Chargers lost their first two home games to teams that both finished 3-14 in 2025, falling to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders by identical 26-14 scores.
From there, things unraveled.
Los Angeles is averaging an NFL-low 14.1 points per game. Mike McDaniel’s first year as offensive coordinator has produced just nine touchdowns, and the offense has been shut out in the touchdown column over the last two games. The Chargers also lead the league with 17 turnovers, including 12 from Justin Herbert.
The quarterback’s mistakes have been a major part of the story, but the problems go beyond him. The defense has mostly held up, yet it’s sitting 23rd against the run at 124.6 yards allowed per game. That’s a sharp drop from last season, when the Chargers ranked eighth in the league at 105.4.
McDaniel is making a change this week, moving from the sideline to the booth to call plays. He said, “I think we’re going to try that this week. Seems like a good action to take based on how things have gone this year.”
With the season spiraling, the usual deadline chatter has started to swirl around the roster. Herbert, Quentin Johnston, Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu have all come up in “fire sale” talk. But the most discussed move has been the possibility of parting with McDaniel, even as he adjusts his setup for this week’s game against the Houston Texans.
Of the players mentioned, Herbert is the hardest to imagine moving. Johnston could draw interest from a team looking for receiver help if the price is right. Mack and Tuipulotu are the other names to watch, especially with both set to hit free agency in 2027.
Mack’s résumé speaks for itself. The fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft has built a 13-year career, and despite time with the Raiders and Bears, he has actually played more seasons and more games for the Chargers than for either of those teams. The nine-time Pro Bowler, by all indications, would rather stay put.
Tuipulotu is a different kind of frustration. Even with plenty of cap room, the Chargers and general manager Joe Hortiz never managed to get an extension done with the edge rusher, who has continued to improve.
Still, the bigger story may be what Los Angeles does not do. At this point, the expectation is that the Chargers will stand pat before Tuesday’s deadline and avoid dealing anyone. That would leave the front office with another round of questions, especially given how little has gone right this season.
The deadline arrives Tuesday, November 10, at 4:00 pm ET, and the Chargers are running out of time on more than one front.
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Chargers Face A Trade Deadline Test They Cant Keep Dodging
The trade deadline is starting to press on the Chargers in a way they can no longer ignore, and Khalil Mack has become the name hanging over it. With the team still searching for answers amid its current struggles, the idea of moving a veteran pass rusher with real value has moved from a hypothetical to a legitimate front-office question, even if nothing official is in motion yet.
Macks situation is what makes this so tricky for Los Angeles. He remains one of the most recognizable players on the roster, and the Chargers have to weigh what he means to the present against what he could bring back in a deal. For now, the conversation is still just that, a conversation, but it is the kind of deadline decision that can shape how the rest of the season is viewed. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Herbert Drama Isnt Going Away For The Chargers
The fallout from the Chargers loss to the Rams has lingered well beyond the final whistle, with Quentin Lakes postgame criticism of Justin Herbert drawing plenty of attention before he later apologized to the quarterback. Herbert and Jim Harbaugh both answered back in their own way, and Harbaugh made clear he was standing behind his passer even as Herberts season has come under scrutiny.
For a team trying to steady itself, the noise around Herbert is the kind that can follow a franchise quarterback around until it gets settled one way or another. Even with the rough stretches and the outside chatter, the Chargers are not looking to move on from him, which keeps the focus on how he responds the next time he takes the field rather than on any real change in direction. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Make One Offensive Change They Desperately Need To Work
The Chargers are making a notable adjustment on offense, with coordinator Mike McDaniel moving his play-calling operation from the sideline to the booth. It is the kind of practical shift teams often make when they want a clearer view of what is happening across the field, and McDaniel believes the higher vantage point will help him track the action more cleanly and pass along adjustments to the position coaches.
The move was made in agreement with head coach Jim Harbaugh, which adds another layer to an offense still looking for the right rhythm under its new direction. For a unit trying to sharpen communication and improve in-game response, this is the sort of change that can matter in the margins, even if the real test will come once the game speed starts forcing quick decisions. [Read more 🡒]