Chargers May Need to Admit They Are Sellers at the Trade Deadline

The Los Angeles Chargers are now in a very tough position when it comes to how the 2026 season could turn out, as they are currently sitting at 0-5 with not much going their way.

Right now, the Chargers are really struggling with injuries across the board as well as struggles with consistency, especially on the offensive side of the ball, and as a result of that, Los Angeles may be forced into a reality they do not want to accept.

On that note, Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Gary Davenport projected NFL fire sales for the league's worst teams ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, and based on the fact that the Chargers are 0-5, they were included on that list.

In the projection, Davenport talked about the fact that while the offense has been a major issue, NFL insider Adam Schefter shot down the idea of trading quarterback Justin Herbert as someone in the Chargers' organization said, "The sentence should we trade Justin Herbert has never once been uttered in our organization, nor will it be."

So, at this point, Herbert will very likely remain in Los Angeles at least until the end of the season and then the Chargers may need to evaluate where they are for 2027.

Aside from Herbert, Davenport also noted that some other pieces who could be moved include wide receiver Quentin Johnston, edge rushers Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack, and safety Derwin James Jr. who are all in very interesting situations. 

Starting with Johnston, he has really struggled to emerge as a great weapon for the Chargers this season and after accepting his fifth-year option he is under contract in Los Angeles through 2027. With that said, because the Chargers have struggled so much offensively, they could end up trading Johnston to potentially put him in a better situation and get some draft capital in return.

Now, looking at Tuipulotu, he is in a contract year and is one of the better young players that the Chargers have. However, if this team is not going to be competitive this year, Tuipulotu may want out of Los Angeles, or the Chargers may be willing to trade him for a significant haul of draft picks to save cap space. Regardless, this will be something worth watching.

Next up, Mack is a very experienced veteran, and because of that he may be one of the more likely players to be moved because he has the ability to help as a pass rusher to a team that needs help in that area. So, if the Chargers continue to struggle he could moved for a later draft pick so Los Angeles does not lose him for nothing if he decides to walk in free agency or retire in the offseason.

Lastly, James is in a fairly similar position to Mack as he is an experienced veteran, but he is still showing the ability to be one of the better safeties in the league. Based on that, it is worth wondering if the Chargers feel they want to hold onto him, or if they would like to move on and truly have a massive number of picks or even just acquire young talent.

Ultimately, it is possible that none of these moves happen, because the Chargers have to pull the trigger, and Davenport also mentioned that, according to ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, an NFL executive said, "I think it's going to be really difficult for them to admit when and if they need to trade guys."

With that feedback in mind, this will definitely be a situation to watch, as head coach Jim Harbaugh will not want to admit that this team needs to sell at the trade deadline with his competitive nature, but sitting at 0-5, it is going to be very difficult to even get this team in a position to be in the hunt for the playoffs, especially when looking at the schedule.

Additionally, it will be worth monitoring how the relationship between Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz progresses, as if Hortiz wants to make moves, but Harbaugh wants to stand pat, that could create some major tension.

So, as the Chargers move forward, it will be interesting to see if they can pick up a few wins before the deadline to get at least a bit more competitive, but if they cannot, Harbaugh and Hortiz may be forced to accept the reality that this team needs to sell and prioritize building this team for 2027.