The Chargers may finally be loosening their grip on the trade market, even if Khalil Mack still looks like a tough sell.
According to Jordan Schultz, teams have come away in the last 24 hours with the sense that Los Angeles is more open to moving players than it had been before. Mack remains the headliner for anyone calling, but Schultz reported that he is still viewed as a long shot to actually get dealt.
The bigger shift appears to be around the rest of the roster. The Chargers, who had been turning away trade inquiries and giving off the impression they were not interested in selling, even at 0-8, might now be willing to listen on players with expiring contracts if the return is strong enough.
That opens the door for names already sitting on the radar. Donte Jackson, Bud Dupree and Dalvin Tomlinson are among the players the Chargers could be more prepared to move, fitting the kind of tier Los Angeles may now be willing to discuss.
Mack, 35, has been one of the most notable names in the league for years. The former first-round pick out of Buffalo was drafted by the Raiders in 2014, played out the final season of his four-year, $18,677,002 contract, and then had his fifth-year option picked up. Las Vegas later sent him to the Bears in a trade that brought back two first-round picks.
Chicago then locked him up on a six-year, $141 million extension that included $90 million guaranteed.
Mack eventually landed with the Chargers in 2022 in exchange for draft compensation after four seasons with the Bears. Once that deal ran its course, he returned to Los Angeles on a one-year, $18 million agreement for 2025 and 2026.
This season, Mack has played in seven games and posted 21 total tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks.
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