The Chargers may be 0-7, but they’re not acting like a team ready to tear it all down.
According to NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, Los Angeles has been telling other teams that Khalil Mack isn’t available, and calls on Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey and others have been met with “hard nos.” With Tuesday’s trade deadline approaching, the Chargers are making it clear they don’t want to send the message that the season is already over.
That stance starts with Mack, who has become the most obvious veteran target on the roster. He’s 35, he’s on a fully guaranteed $18 million, one-year deal, and he’s producing with three sacks and 21 total tackles in seven games.
That kind of contract usually draws interest from contenders looking for a short-term boost. But Los Angeles would rather keep the presence he brings in his fifth season with the team than turn him into draft picks for the stretch run.
Jim Harbaugh shut down the speculation after the Chargers’ 24-9 loss to the Rams in Week 8. “I want Khalil Mack here.
Khalil Mack wants to be here. He’s one of the pillars of our team,” Harbaugh said.
He also made it clear the personnel side isn’t his lane. “I’m focused on the Texans,” Harbaugh said.
Herbert, despite his rough stretch, is also staying put. The quarterback leads the NFL with 10 interceptions, and the offense has gone 27 straight drives without a touchdown.
Even so, the front office is not treating him like a player it wants to move. Other reporting has suggested Herbert could be available only for an enormous return, with one front-office executive saying a deal would require at least three first-round picks plus lower selections or established players.
Herbert is under contract through 2029.
The criticism around Herbert has gotten louder, too. Rams safety Quentin Lake said on a podcast this week that Herbert “was throwing deli meat out there.”
Harbaugh didn’t bite when asked about it Wednesday. “Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, that’s not what I see,” Harbaugh said.
McConkey is the other name the Chargers are refusing to move. Tom Pelissero described the 24-year-old slot receiver as “arguably the most important piece of the Chargers offense besides quarterback Justin Herbert.” Injuries have limited McConkey for much of the season, and Los Angeles wants a full 10-game look at him in Mike McDaniel’s offense before making any long-term call.
The bigger picture is simple: even with the franchise sitting at its worst start since 2000, the Chargers still believe there’s a path to meaningful football later in the season. That idea gets tested today against Houston, which comes in at 2-5 off its bye.
Kickoff at SoFi Stadium is set for 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS.
After that, Los Angeles heads to Baltimore for a Monday night game Nov. 16, then comes home for matchups with the Jets and Patriots. The deadline hits Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
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