As far as any national reporting has indicated, the Los Angeles Chargers have yet to start taking calls on potential trades as of Nov. 4. The league-wide trade deadline is on Nov. 10.
If the Chargers do ultimately want to make a move, they're obviously somewhat behind the 8 ball. Perhaps Joe Hortiz sees this roster as being more competitive as it is. Perhaps he's angling for compensatory draft picks when the team's free agents leave this summer. Or perhaps he's simply trying to protect his job as the team enters Week 9 without a singular win.
This isn't a roster that needs to be torn down to the ground, so I'll give Hortiz credit for not opening the door for a 'fire sale'. But given the assets they're almost certain to lose in free agency anyways, would it not make sense to at least try to amass some additional draft capital for this offseason? The one thing Hortiz has truly done well during his Los Angeles tenure is maximize the value of mid- and late-round draft capital.
A couple more picks could certainly help this team replenish the cupboards this offseason.
On that note, here are three (logical) trades that Los Angeles could make between now and Nov. 10. Hopefully we'll see at least one of them take place.
3 trades the Chargers could make if they're willing to open the doors before the trade deadline
1. Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears for a fifth-round pick
It does feel like, if Khalil Mack had asked for a trade or even were open to the prospect, something would've come out by now. Although the Chargers organization is usually pretty tight-lipped about these matters, Mack remains perhaps the premier edge rusher on the board at this deadline even at the age of 35.
For now, then, it's reasonable to assume Mack wants to finish his career in Los Angeles. The only way he gets moved is if he expresses a desire to pursue a Super Bowl ring in what very well could be his final NFL season.
If he does, the Bears are the obvious suitors here. Sure, they already traded a haul for defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons, but this team is shaping up to be one of the true contenders this year, and they need additional depth along the defensive line. The Bears, to this point in the season, are fourth in pressure rate and sixth in total sacks, so the need isn't as dire as it might've seemed at the start of the season. But Mack isn't just a pass-rush specialist, he's also a reliable run defender, and bringing a veteran into the fold for the cost of the fifth-round pick Chicago gained in the Simmons trade would be a low price to pay.
2. Donte Jackson to the Detroit Lions for a sixth-round pick
After a disastrous start to the season defensively, the Lions are starting to even things out as we round into the middle portions of the schedule. Brian Branch is back, and the Lions are now 5-2 and in third place in the NFC North.
They still possess the second-worst passing defense in the league by total yards, though, and bringing in an additional viable corner at the deadline should be a real option for them. Moving off of Jackson—who had a resurgent season in 2025 but struggled slightly to acclimate to Chris O'Leary's scheme before going down with injury this year—wouldn't be an easy proposition for the Los Angeles defense, even with the addition of Jalyn Armour-Davis.
But this Chargers cornerback room needs some additional investment this offseason, and it feels likely that Jackson is gone anyways. If a team comes calling, it very well could be Detroit.
3. Dalvin Tomlinson to the New Orleans Saints for a seventh-round pick
I'm not 100% convinced the Chargers necessarily should move off of Tomlinson, given the potential return of a late-round pick versus the potential benefit of simply keeping him on the roster for the remainder of the season and continuing to analyze how he fits with the rest of the interior defensive line.
But Tomlinson is essentially a one-year rental, at least by the way his contract is constructed, and he's enough of a run stuffer and a versatile schematic piece that any team looking for a cheap addition could have some level of interest.
The Saints are just 2-4 currently and in last place in the NFC South, but that division is packed so closely together that it's not unreasonable for any team to think they have a shot at claiming the crown. I wouldn't count New Orleans in for a major move, but something like this to shore up the defensive line isn't out of the picture for a team in need of a little extra juice on both sides of the ball.
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