The Los Angeles Chargers are in quite a dire situation, as they have a 0-3 record and face a gauntlet of opponents over the next few weeks. Things are already bad for this team, but if they aren’t careful, they could get much worse before they get any better, which is a scary proposition to be facing in just Week 4 of the season.
In some regards, teams are already preparing for the worst-case scenario in L.A., as front offices are eyeing players who could be valuable trade targets. Perhaps the most valuable chip at the Chargers’ disposal is former Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack, as one insider believes he could be landing with a new team in the near future.
Chargers Predicted to Trade Khalil Mack as Concerning Slide Continues
Even in his 13th NFL season, Mack remains one of the most feared pass rushers in the league. A nine-time Pro Bowler who also has three All-Pro First Team selections, Mack has picked up 115 sacks throughout his career, and he’s still going strong. His best campaign, though, came in 2016 while with the Oakland Raiders, as he won the Defensive Player of the Year Award with 73 tackles and 11 sacks.
Mack has been with the Chargers since 2022, and while he isn’t the same player he once was, he still can get after the quarterback on any given play. Even with L.A. enduring an abysmal start to the season, Mack has managed to add two sacks to his lofty career tally, and he doesn’t seem set on slowing down anytime soon.
The hope was that Mack would play a role for a winning team in 2026, but that hasn’t happened to this point. Considering how he is in the final year of his contract, L.A. could find itself with good reason to explore a trade for Mack if it continues to struggle. According to NFL insider Adam Schefter of ESPN, Los Angeles’ persistent woes could leave it with no choice but to try and trade Mack at some point over the next few weeks.
“Last year of his contract on a team that is not winning. The Chargers need to turn it around to keep him. If not, they’ll be getting calls about his availability,” Schefter said on “Sunday NFL Countdown.”
Should the Chargers Trade Khalil Mack?
If the Chargers keep playing football at the level they are currently at, it’s tough to justify holding onto Mack past the trade deadline in November. There’s a very good chance he will leave in free agency over the upcoming offseason if he sticks around, so it would be better to get something in return for him, rather than letting him leave for nothing.
Los Angeles has the talent to turn things around, but its upcoming slate of opponents is unforgiving, which is why teams may already be drawing up trade offers for Mack. The next game in a long list of difficult contests sees the Chargers square off against the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in Week 4, with kickoff scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET.
Chargers Receive Worrying Trade Update on All-Pro Defender From Insider