The writing is on the wall: a Khalil Mack trade isn’t happening this week. Both the Chargers and Mack himself have made up their minds, completely slamming the door on deadline speculation.
The Chargers let the rumors swirl for weeks before finally shutting them down days before the trade deadline.
“I want Khalil Mack here. Khalil Mack wants to be here.” Harbaugh declared to reporters when asked on the Mack rumors.
Khalil Mack Says ‘I Want to be Here’
Rival GMs didn’t buy it and still kept blowing up the Chargers’ phones expecting a fire sale, but Khalil Mack, too, completely shut down any rumors of an internal split.
“Yeah, they know how I feel, man,” Mack said, per The Athletic’s Noah Furtado, when asked if the front office knows he wants to stay. “It’s just tough with all the outside noise. And so, ultimately I want to be here and I want to help them win. Even though it’s tough right now, you always see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Reports of the Chargers stonewalling inquiries for Mack — or anyone else on the roster– have been swirling for weeks, but the rumor mill simply refused to buy it.
To the outside world, a winless team passing up the chance to cash in on prime trade bait made zero sense. Mack is on a one-year rental, bound for free agency next spring, and holding out for a haul of draft picks seemed like a no-brainer for a rebuilding front office.
Yet, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported that the writing is basically on the wall.
No Trade From Chargers Before Deadline
“Despite their 0-7 record, the Los Angeles Chargers continue to tell teams that they have no interest in trading Khalil Mack, and the veteran pass rusher will not be going anywhere before Tuesday’s deadline, according to sources,” Schefter and Rapoport wrote.
That’s just Schefter and Rapoport confirming what Mack already told last week.
“You’ve got to be where your feet are man, ultimately,” Mack said after the Bolts’ 24-7 loss to the Rams, via Eric Williams of Fox Sports. “That can be the most difficult thing when you’re dealing with a lot of outside noise and stuff. Just trying to be where your feet are at all times. That’s kind of been my thing in years past.”
The stone-hard stance isn’t just reserved for Mack. Reports indicate that the Chargers have shut down all active trade calls, be it for Mack, Quinten Johnson, or even Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey.
All of them received the exact same rejection. General manager Joe Hortiz and Harbaugh are making it clear that they intend to protect their core foundation, regardless of how ugly the win-loss record looks right now. It sends out a message to the league that they are not giving up yet, no matter how foregone the season looks.
Khalil Mack Entirely Shuts Down Chargers Trade Rumors With Strong Message