This Week 5 matchup with the Denver Broncos wasn't a game the Los Angeles Chargers were ever expected to win.
After all, they were down both their starting tackles, their first, second, and third-string left guard, two of their top three receivers, and two of their major defensive playmakers in Derwin James Jr. and Donte Jackson. To even keep this game close in the first place is an achievement, and the credit for that falls squarely at the feet of Chris O'Leary's defense.
But the Chargers did lose, by the score of 17-20, and it's time to start thinking about what things look like with an 0-5 record for this team. If they had somehow come away with a win, which was actually doable entering the fourth quarter, this team would've had room to carry some momentum into their Week 6 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. Even if they had lost, their Week 7 bye would've presented an opportunity for the team to get healthy and emerge refreshed on the other side.
But now the overwhelmingly likely scenario is that it enters its bye with an 0-6 record—this Chiefs offense is clicking too heavily to think otherwise at this point. From here, it simply needs to be a process of figuring out where this roster can be salvaged and where the organization can retrieve draft capital for the players they currently have under contract.
A competitive season, let alone a playoff berth, is officially a far-off dream at this point
The Chargers need to officially start the process of resetting this roster when the Week 7 bye rolls around
To be clear, this is not a rebuilding team. It's not time to even entertain the idea of trading Justin Herbert, nor is it time to think about moving on from many of the cornerstones of this roster. Any hope this regime has of hanging onto their jobs beyond this season should rely on their ability to construct a concrete plan for returning to contention in 2027. That involves major improvement on the offensive side of the ball, but it also involves maximizing the assets they have at their disposal this offseason.
With an 0-5 record, there's simply no other choice.
Even if they had lost in Week 6 to Kansas City (which, again, feels overwhelmingly likely), a win here would've provided some baseline for optimism—a spark on the offensive side of the ball or some sign of elevated play from Herbert within this scheme. Although we've seen marginal improvements, which have certainly been slowed by the injuries that unit has suffered, there's simply no reason to believe that the offense can become competitive in time for this team to salvage this season in even a relative sense of the term.
With the trade deadline looming on Nov. 10, a Week 7 bye gives the Chargers much needed time to evaluate.
What sort of price can they command for Khalil Mack, who returned to Los Angeles on a one-year deal in order to chase a Super Bowl before the end of his career? A Day 2 pick feels reasonable, and there are a number of pass-rush needy contenders that would likely be willing to take that swing. Kimani Vidal could be another movable piece for a team that needs running back depth, and the same goes for Donte Jackson, Denzel Perryman, and even one-year rental Dalvin Tomlinson at nose tackle.
Could Quentin Johnston command any trade value? His fifth-year option and utter lack of production make that evaluation tricky, but there's room to believe a team with extra cap space next season may be willing to take a flier on the receiver.
Los Angeles currently has seven selections in the upcoming NFL Draft. Moving even a portion of these pieces would net the organization picks that could easily be instrumental in rebuilding this roster around whatever sort of vision they want to implement next season.
There's a light at the end of this tunnel, but it seems to be exceedingly dim as the Chargers enter their final pre-bye matchup. This isn't a roster that needs to be rebuilt from the ground up, but another loss on its record means that doing nothing at the deadline simply isn't an option for Joe Hortiz and company.
Add us as a preferred source on Google