If the season wasn't over already, it almost certainly is now. The Chargers' blowout loss vs. the Texans followed the same wavelength as their other losses this season-poor coaching, bad offensive line play, a defense that got asked to do too much, and a version of Justin Herbert that is unrecognizable. We could keep adding other items to the Chargers' 2026 autopsy report, but for now I'll leave it there.
Today seems to be business as usual for the Chargers. There have been no staff firings. Barring any trades at the deadline, they will keep the same team in place heading into Monday Night Football next week. On Saturday, the Chargers put the memo out there through national reporters that they would not trade Khalil Mack or be sellers.
It's time for the Chargers to wake up and smell the roses.
It was reported by Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport that the Chargers worried about the message that selling at the deadline would send. They didn't want the idea that they were quitting on the 2026 version of the team out there.
I'd argue that living in denial is worse than living in reality. 0-8 is 0-8. They're by far the worst offense by nearly every metric. Herbert is playing the worst football of his career. They can't run the ball. This is an offense going nowhere, despite HC Jim Harbaugh saying he thinks it could be fixed.
Keeping Mike McDaniel in his current state without any adjustments is a bigger sign of quitting than trading expiring contracts. Changes to the run game and simplifying the offense have been promised over the past few weeks. The biggest change that McDaniel actually executed on was moving up to the booth. Except the offense looked exactly the same regardless of where he was coaching from. If Harbaugh is powerless to intervene on McDaniel not properly making changes to the offense, it brings up questions on his nature as a "CEO" head coach.
Hortiz and Harbaugh would be doing a disservice to the teams' future by not selling at the deadline. Maybe they don't care about that as much given the seemingly increasing odds they're not back next season. It's one thing to not get the right offers for players-it's another to say you're not taking calls entirely.
Frankly, it should be the Chargers as the ones initiating calls to let other teams know they're open for business. Even if Khalil Mack is a situation in his own category, there are other vets on this team. There's no reason they shouldn't be able to get a late day 3 pick for Dalvin Tomlinson or Donte Jackson. Float Kimani Vidal or Keaton Mitchell out there. Regardless of how late the picks are in the draft, more capital is still more capital for players they may not have future plans for. And if there is to be a future with a player like Tuli Tuipulotu for example, why didn't they try harder to extend him last offseason?
Hopefully, the dialogue of the last month or so has been Hortiz attempting to leverage. The Chargers not trying to acquire day three picks for expiring contract players that may not be back would be malpractice. It would be cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Running this coaching staff, front office, and roster back unchanged for nine more games is more evidence of quitting than any singular trade would be.
Add us as a preferred source on Google