The LA Chargers are 0-3 and are already reeling. Los Angeles has one of the toughest remaining schedules in the entire league, and with how the team played in the first three weeks, it's hard to imagine anything close to a .500 record.
As such, the mindset for the Bolts' front office may start to shift from playoff contender to trade deadline seller. The least the Chargers can do is add future draft capital for expendable players instead of allowing those players to wallow in mediocrity the rest of the year.
And no, Justin Herbert is not on this list. Yes, I am the same person who said the Chargers should be open to a godfather offer for Herbert for the first time in his career, but the Chargers should never openly shop their signal-caller.
This is about extracting future value from the pieces around him. There are three players the Bolts could actually get value out of at the trade deadline.
Chargers should trade Khalil Mack
Look, we don't want to see Khalil Mack go. He has been a leader in the locker room and on the field since the moment the Chargers traded for him back in 2021. Mack has spent more years with the Chargers than any other team in his career and has been everything the Chargers hoped he would be.
That being said, Mack is at the point in his career where the only thing he is chasing is a Super Bowl ring. The veteran edge rusher has flirted with retirement the last two offseasons and has come back on one-year deals. With how this season is going, it's hard to imagine Mack wanting to return again to the Chargers in 2027.
Thus, the Chargers should look to get whatever they can out of the future Hall of Famer while also giving him his wish of competing for a Super Bowl. Sure, it hurts that it won't come with the Chargers, but Mack can still help the organization with one last parting gift via a trade.
Mack would likely go for a third-round pick and there are some interesting hypothetical suitors that make sense. The Minnesota Vikings are 3-0 and have two third-round picks they could trade for Mack if they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The Seattle Seahawks are projected to receive two compensatory third-round picks, so they could easily part ways with one to try and secure back-to-back titles.
And of course, there's the Chicago Bears. Mack returning to Chicago now that the Bears are relevant would be a fitting send-off for his NFL career.
Chargers should trade Donte Jackson
Donte Jackson has arguably been the best corner on the Chargers this season and that showed on Sunday against the Bills. Jackson left the game with a head injury and in his place rookie UDFA Rodney Shelley turned in some truly awful reps.
Jackson is on the last year of his two-year deal with the Chargers and is absolutely an intriguing piece for contending teams needing secondary help at the deadline. He's especially intriguing for the Baltimore Ravens given his familiarity with Jesse Minter and Baltimore's need for secondary depth.
The price for Jackson would be a sixth-round pick at most, but it would still be worthwhile for the Bolts. There's no reason to hang on to him for the rest of the season, especially considering how volatile cornerbacks can be year-to-year. General manager Joe Hortiz has let standout corners walk in free agency before, so instead of letting him walk and maybe getting a comp pick, the Chargers would be better off trading Jackson.
Chargers should trade Quentin Johnston
It might sound too optimistic to imagine the Chargers actually getting draft capital for Quentin Johnston at the deadline. It's important to remember, though, that draft priors are a real thing and that wide receivers come at a premium. Even when there is baggage.
That's not to say the Chargers will get a great pick for Johnston if they can swing a trade, but there certainly is a world in which they can get something. Getting out of Johnston's fifth-year option in 2027 might be the best part of the trade, though, as that has aged like spoiled milk.
The Philadelphia Eagles managed to trade Jalen Reagor for a seventh-round pick and conditional fourth-round pick (which wound up being a fifth-round pick) and he had far more baggage than Johnston currently as with the Chargers. Sure, there are drop issues, but Johnston is a former first-round pick who had several big games last season.
Desperate teams will pay for that if they think they have a chance at winning a Super Bowl.
Philadelphia has over $42 million in cap space next season and could use a true No. 2 receiver if Makai Lemon is slow to produce. Heck, the Los Angeles Rams have boatloads of space next year and might need receiver help if Puka Nacua's injury is serious. There will be teams in need of wide receiver depth at the deadline.
And that's when the Chargers should strike. Johnston is never going to figure it out and live up to his potential in LA. If the Chargers can cut the cord now, and get something for him while getting out of his deal, it would be a massive win.
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