There was plenty to critique Joe Hortiz and the Los Angeles Chargers' front office about prior to the trade deadline.
But an inactive deadline, combined with the rescinded Daiyan Henley trade, just gave their critics fresh ammo. Not only is Los Angeles entering Week 10 without a singular win on their record, but the team also will now head into the offseason without any extra draft capital apart from what they got for dealing Avery Smith and TeRah Edwards prior to roster cutdowns.
We won't ever know the full extent of the options that were available to Los Angeles over the past couple of days. But the Chargers will need to reconstruct much of this roster this offseason if they want to have a shot at competitiveness in 2027, and in that light, an inactive trade deadline is an undeniable failure. A number of the players that could've been traded will be allowed to walk in free agency, no matter Los Angeles' deadline stance.
Perhaps it helps the Chargers out in the compensatory pick formula for 2028, but even that feels unlikely given the additions they're going to need to make on the offensive side of the ball. So, with that in mind, here are four players whose deadline survival likely doesn't mean much for their future in Los Angeles.
Chargers will still see a number of departures this offseason even with an inactive trade deadline
1. Daiyan Henley, LB
This feels like the most obvious one, even though it's the most complicated. The Chargers were willing to move Henley at the deadline, despite not taking serious inquiries on any of their stars, because of how difficult it will be to come to terms on a favorable contract with Henley this offseason.
He's a leader of the defense, but he's likely going to want something close to $15 million annually on his next deal, and the looming Tuli Tuipulotu extension, plus the pay raises for Ladd McConkey and Joe Alt in 2028, don't make that a desirable path forward for Los Angeles. Even though Henley is now back with the team after the Denver Broncos backed out of the trade, the whole saga almost certainly won't be conducive to productive negotiations between the two parties.
Perhaps the Chargers can figure something out here, but it feels more likely than ever that Henley will be allowed to walk this offseason.
2. Donte Jackson, CB
On the one hand, the depth of the Chargers' cornerback room has been concerning, and perhaps Jackson's inconsistent availability and performance this season allows the team to bring him back as a depth piece on a relatively cheap deal. But both Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart will be entering the final years of their rookie contracts in 2027, and the Chargers need to focus on rebuilding this room around younger pieces. Don't be surprised if cornerback is a top positional target for Los Angeles in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Hortiz, meanwhile, has routinely shown a preference for cycling young talent into the secondary rather than re-signing aging veterans. Even if Jackson rebounds before the end of the year, then, it feels like he'll be one of the first pieces out the door this offseason.
3. Keaton Mitchell, RB
Mitchell is the only player on this list that's under contract beyond 2026, but that's part of the reason he's a clear candidate for a departure. The Chargers' three-back rotation hasn't worked under Mike McDaniel, and with both Mitchell and Kimani Vidal getting a pay raise this offseason, it feels unlikely they'll carry all three players into 2027.
Vidal will be a restricted free agent this offseason, and Mitchell's contract is back-loaded, meaning Los Angeles will owe him over $6 million of his original two-year, $9.25 million deal if he's on the roster next season. That brings the current total for the RB room somewhere close to $14 million for 2027. Mitchell was also a McDaniel target in free agency, and if he's gone this summer, taking on Mitchell's $1.8 million dead cap hit seems like a no-brainer.
4. David Njoku, TE
Njoku, in theory, was supposed to be the perfect complementary tight end piece between the blocking skill set of Charlie Kolar and the dynamic pass-catching of Oronde Gadsden II. Perhaps that's how things would've unfolded in a productive offense.
But even so, Njoku hasn't played since Week 2 with a leg injury, and although he's supposed to return this week, it's doubtful there will be enough targets for him to achieve the revival of value he wanted out of his one-year stint in Los Angeles. It's hard when the offense goes 3-and-out on virtually every drive.
Both Kolar and Gadsden are under contract through 2028, so it definitely feels like Njoku will be searching for another 'prove it' deal when the offseason rolls around.
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