Nobody expected it to be this bad, but the LA Chargers clearly should be sellers at the 2026 NFL trade deadline. The Chargers are the last winless team in the NFL and have several veteran players who could elicit a return on the trade market.
It's in the best interest of the organization to trade off the sellable assets, even if there's a nonzero chance the Chargers have a new GM to use those assets in the future. With a tough strength of schedule remaining and the team looking like a dumpster fire, it's downright ignorant to think the Bolts will right the ship.
It's a shame the Chargers are in the position they are in, but it doesn't change the reality of the situation. Here's everything you need to know ahead of Nov. 10's trade deadline.
- Most likely Chargers players to be traded
- Theoretical Chargers trade chips that won't be moved
- Buyers the Chargers should be calling
Most likely Chargers players to be traded
Khalil Mack
Trading Khalil Mack is a no-brainer. As great as his tenure in Los Angeles has been, Mack is only playing to compete for a Super Bowl and the Chargers clearly aren't going to get him there this season.
Mack is on a year-by-year basis at this stage of his career and the Chargers owe it to him to get him on a winner this season. Sure, the Bolts could hold out and hope he signs with a contender in the offseason to maybe get a compensatory pick for him. But that's not doing right by Mack. Mack deserves better.
The Indianapolis Colts traded DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers for a fourth-round pick. That's probably what Mack would go for on the trade market. Any team acquiring Mack would only be responsible for what's left on his $8 million base salary.
Kimani Vidal
Kimani Vidal is a restricted free agent after this season and there's a world where the Chargers get an offer that's too good to turn down. Running backs are dropping like flies throughout the NFL and as a standout player last season, the Bolts may be able to sell high on Vidal.
That would still likely only warrant a fifth-round pick or so, but it's still worth the conversation. Omarion Hampton should receive a larger share of the snaps as the Chargers (hopefully) pivot away from Mike McDaniel's underuse of the 2025 first-round pick. With Keaton Mitchell as the natural second back, there is room to part ways with Vidal for the right price.
This is only going to happen if the Chargers get a deal worthwhile; there's no world in which the Bolts sell low on a young, controllable asset.
Donte Jackson
Veteran cornerback Donte Jackson is in the second year of a two-year deal he signed with the Chargers in 2025. Jackson has been a revelation for the Bolts and has arguably been the best cornerback in the room over the last two years.
That has inflated his trade value to a point where the Chargers should strike. Jackson won't sign a big deal in free agency, so there is no point in waiting for any kind of compensatory return. If the Bolts can get a sixth-round pick for his services, they should take it and run.
Plus, this would give the Chargers more opportunity to evaluate the young depth options below Jackson on the depth chart. We know Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart are foundational pieces of this secondary; it's beyond them the Chargers need to figure out.
Daiyan Henley
Daiyan Henley has blossomed into a fan favorite and it would be a real shame to see him traded. However, with Henley playing on the last year of his rookie deal, he's certainly a candidate to be traded to linebacker-hungry teams.
Henley certainly has value, although he is someone the Chargers can replace. The fourth-year middle linebacker is a floor raiser; he isn't going to be the best player on the defense but he isn't going to completely burn a unit, either. Any contending team looking for competent linebacker play should be interested in Henley.
As is the case with everyone else in this section, the price has to be right for the Bolts to move off Henley. That price may even be inflated in comparison to his talent because he is a young asset the Chargers could re-sign in free agency.
Theoretical Chargers trade chips that won't be moved
Derwin James
Derwin James is the biggest name on the defensive side of the ball and as a veteran himself, there's buzz about whether or not he could be available on the trade market. He won't be. This is a case of a player meaning more to one organization than another.
James' importance as the leader of the Chargers' defense cannot be overstated. However, given his hefty contract after last offseason's extension, James naturally won't be as valuable to other teams as he is the Chargers.
The Chargers would need a second-round pick at worst to move off of James and there's just no way a team would commit to that price given James' age and contract status.
Tuli Tuipulotu
Tuli Tuipulotu's name has been floated as a potential trade deadline chip because the Chargers butchered his contract situation. The Chargers have a top-tier 24-year-old edge rusher playing on an expiring deal and didn't want to prioritize extending him past the 2026 season.
Now there is the risk of Tuipulotu leaving in free agency, which is why he is on these trade lists in the first place. If Tuipulotu does leave, though, it would be via a massive contract similar to what the Washington Commanders gave Odafe Oweh. That would net the Chargers a third-round compensatory pick.
As a result, the Chargers won't take anything less than a second-round pick and it's hard to see another team trading that much capital for someone who could be a rental. The Chargers know this, so they are better off keeping him in hopes of landing a new deal. If not, the Chargers still will get a decent pick.
Quentin Johnston
Quentin Johnston could be a viable offseason trade chip as he will be playing on his fifth-year rookie option in 2027. Yes, it's expensive, but if the Eagles managed to trade Jalen Reagor, the Chargers could trade Johnston.
It just won't happen yet. Johnston has done absolutely nothing this season so far, which is naturally going to scare teams away. Even when they struggle, wide receivers come at a premium price and there are so many other better targets out there for hungry teams to target in a trade.
Buyers the Chargers should be calling
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have the most explosive offense in the league, with holes to fill defensively. Khalil Mack is an obvious fit here but there are other players who may interest the Bears. Chicago has every right to go all in at the deadline, and if the Bears do, they might become the favorites in the NFC.
The Bears have seven picks to trade in the 2027 NFL Draft, with enough cap flexibility to bring in a big name. Heck, if they are really hungry, perhaps they can surprise us and offer a true premium pick for Tuipulotu (although it's unlikely).
Detroit Lions
Competing with the Bears in the NFC North is the Detroit Lions, who might have even more urgency to add players during the trade deadline. Not only are the Lions chasing down both the Bears and the Vikings, but they have also exhibited a truly porous defense that may hold the team back.
Detroit has eight picks in the 2027 NFL Draft to spare as well as the second-most cap space in the league. With over $60 million in projected space next season, the Lions could acquire someone with more than just the 2026 season in mind.
Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones has operated with an extreme sense of urgency in the last 18 months, making the Dallas Cowboys a natural team that Joe Hortiz should be calling. Jones absolutely could talk himself into a big-name fish like Mack, as well as a more practical option like Henley if that is the route he wanted to take.
It would take some cap manipulation and may not elicit as big a return given the Cowboys' draft pick status, but there's still more than enough for the Cowboys and Chargers to do business.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't shied away from deadline deals in the past and this year could be no different. Liam Coen's team has as good of a chance as anyone in the AFC to make the Super Bowl this season, which would only be strengthened with a smart deadline move.
Mack is a natural fit for the Jaguars, who could create a truly havoc-wrecking front seven by adding him to the fold. But don't rule out cornerback help in Donte Jackson or even a surprise swing for a player like Dalvin Tomlinson.
Jacksonville may also take a turn as a seller at the deadline, too. Brian Thomas Jr.'s name has been floated as a trade deadline piece, potentially giving the Jaguars more ammo to go outbid other teams for a big-name edge rusher.
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