Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers are off to an 0-7 start in 2026. This is easily the biggest shock of the NFL season thus far.
The horrific start has led to plenty of trade rumors as the November 10 deadline approaches. However, the Chargers don’t appear to be in a rush to trade away top talent.
Herbert in particular is in an interesting situation. He is the team’s franchise quarterback and is under contract through 2029. He also has a full no-trade clause, so it’s unlikely he would ever accept a midseason trade out of Los Angeles.
Yet that doesn’t mean other teams shouldn’t at least make a call to see if he and the Chargers could be swayed, as ESPN’s Ben Solak pointed out.
Analyst Lists Teams That Should Call Chargers
Solak published a piece Monday morning that included a section on teams that should give the Chargers a call on Herbert. This section began with a clear statement that a trade is not happening, barring an absolute surprise.
Yet he did name three teams that should at least call the Chargers and have a conversation: the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, and New York Jets.
Out of those three, Herbert may only realistically accept a move to the Vikings. Minnesota has Kyler Murray in the starting role, yet may already be regretting choosing him over J.J. McCarthy.
But again, Herbert has all the leverage in this situation. That puts the Chargers in a weird spot if the team ends up with the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
LA Must Decide on a Path Forward
Is Herbert broken? And if so, what is the path forward?
The Chargers, for now, seem set on not blowing up the roster. That means keeping Herbert on the field and not trading Khalil Mack. Of course, the latter could change before the deadline.
Not trading away talent could mean the entire organization is just going to head into 2027 pretending like 2026 didn’t happen. Yet it’s clear the team is going to end up with a top pick in next year’s NFL Draft.
Most teams in that scenario would be targeting a quarterback. In the Chargers’ case, Ohio State’s star receiver Jeremiah Smith would be the obvious top target. That could help explain why the team isn’t looking for a total reset.
The only notable change would likely be to move on from Mike McDaniel, as he’s running a unit averaging 14.1 points per game.
The Chargers even pondering the idea of trading Herbert is a shocking story given the team’s preseason expectations. While Solak notes he doesn’t expect a trade to happen, the fact it’s even a thought exercise shows how much of a disaster 2026 has been for the Chargers and Herbert.
Analyst Lists 3 Teams That Should Call Chargers About Justin Herbert Trade