The Los Angeles Chargers are entering the 2025 season with championship aspirations, and sometimes, those aspirations require huge swings by the general manager.
When a star player becomes available in a trade, you have to be willing to take a swing for the fences. Big-name players simply don't become available often in their prime years in the NFL, especially when it comes to superstar pass rushers. The Chargers have a guy on their own roster in Khalil Mack, who was once the centerpiece of one of the biggest defensive player trades in league history.
Mack was traded by the Raiders to the Bears for two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a fifth-round pick. It was a king's ransom of picks sent by the Bears, and the Chargers have a chance to do the same now with the Dallas Cowboys completely bungling their situation with superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons.
Joe Hortiz and the Chargers should take a bold swing and go after Micah Parsons
Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said goodbye this offseason to Joey Bosa, who left in free agency to sign with the Buffalo Bills. While he brought back veterans Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree, the Chargers have to be considered one of the top teams in the league without a true elite presence off the edge.
They have some solid players and a high floor, no question about it, but a player like Micah Parsons would send the expectations for this team into orbit. The Chargers absolutely have to try and take advantage of what the Dallas Cowboys have done, which is completely fumble the situation with Parsons.
Parsons has officially requested a trade out of Dallas and doesn't seem like he's coming off of that stance. Of course, one offer of a contract that he actually wants could end up changing his mind, but if he's even remotely available, there's no reason why Hortiz shouldn't be offering exactly what the Bears once did to get Khalil Mack so he can have Parsons on his roster.
And frankly, even more than that if necessary. The Chargers have every reason to make a compelling offer for a player like Parsons, who has averaged 14.2 sacks per 17 games through four NFL seasons and is one of the most consistently dominant pass rushers in the game. Parsons' career low of quarterback pressures is 41.
Adding arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL to a defense that already ranked 1st in the NFL last year in points allowed? The Chargers would go from being "in the conversation" in the AFC West to blazing by everybody else.
They need to make a call and get Jerry Jones at least thinking about moving his star pass rusher, getting assets while he can.