The Los Angeles Chargers have found themselves in an almost comically unlucky position with regards to how beaten up their offensive line has become this season, but that doesn't mean Joe Hortiz will be laser-focused on trying to improve only that position at the 2025 NFL trade deadline.
The Chargers' ground game could use a shot in the arm. Omarion Hampton is still working his way back from injury, Najee Harris is done for the year, and it looks like Kimani Vidal is starting to run out of pixie dust. Adding a running back is clearly the No. 2 priority.
ESPN's Dan Graziano imagines a world in which the Chargers need to battle it out with a division rival in the Kansas City Chiefs (who need to find a replacement for the injured Isiah Pacheco) for a top running back. However, the latest reports seemingly implied that New York Jets standout Breece Hall may not be as available as he was in the past.
Graziano mentions Cleveland's Jerome Ford and Miami's Jaylen Wright as two backs who could be on the move. If they are truly available, Hortiz would be doing his team a disservice if he didn't at least check in on their availability.
Chargers may need to battle Chiefs for RB trade at NFL trade deadline
Ford has found himself squeezed out of a role in Cleveland after the 2025 NFL Draft, as the Browns used a second-round pick on Quinshon Judkins and a fourth-round pick on Dylan Sampson. With Judkins seemingly breaking out for Cleveland, Ford could be on the move for the right price.
Wright is more of a speedy option, as opposed to someone who is more of a between-the-tackles grinder in Ford. Like the Cleveland back, Wright found himself out of a role on offense when the Dolphins used a draft pick on Ollie Gordon II and gave him the bulk of the backup carries behind De'Von Achane.
While investing more picks into a running back trade could come across as a bit foolish, considering there is a full-on code red situation happening on the offensive line, LA shouldn't totally eschew the market at this position. Any running back they trade for is one more player Kansas City can't get.
If the Chargers can get some sort of reassurance that some respectable NFL-level talent can beef up this offensive line, another running back might give them the edge they need in a crowded AFC.