It's easy to sound like a broken record at this point when it comes to the Los Angeles Chargers
If your aim is to critique this team, it's simply been the same thing week after week. Poor execution from the offense, combined with poor separation from the receivers and even poorer protection on a week-to-week basis, has led them to this point. Mike McDaniel, meanwhile, hasn't made any seriously tangible adjustments to his scheme through nine weeks of the season, and even with his move to the box this week, this offense looked much the same.
For Joe Hortiz, it's been a constant battle of fending off reporters asking about the Chargers' status at the trade deadline. He's continually insisted, through multiple national insiders, that Los Angeles plans to stand pat—there's no "giving up" on this team even after eight consecutive losses to start the season.
But why?
As the Chargers fall to 0-8, their only hope of salvaging this season—in any sense of the phrase—is going to come from a sudden turnaround on the offensive side of the ball. There hasn't been even a singular hint of that looming in the future through nine weeks.
In a season that's definitively been lost, there's no true reason to hold onto expiring assets other than pride and PR concerns on the part of the front office. To do so through Tuesday's deadline would be an unquestionable mistake, and this loss against the Houston Texans simply provided more evidence to make that case.
This Chargers team is the farthest thing from competitive—why not maximize your assets at the trade deadline?
It makes sense for Los Angeles to be unwilling to ship out its stars like other sellers might do at the deadline. There's hope for this team, with the right coaching and personnel moves, to slide back into playoff contention next season. Moving off of pieces like Tuli Tuipulotu or Derwin James Jr. isn't a viable option here.
It also make sense why the team isn't entertaining a Khalil Mack trade. Although he's likely their most realistic trade asset, he's made it clear that he loves being in Los Angeles—and if this is possibly the final season of his NFL career, he deserves to spend it where he wants to. If he were to privately ask out and be denied, though, that's an entirely different story.
But Los Angeles has other trade assets, many of whom are on expiring deals and almost certainly won't be returning this offseason.
Donte Jackson has struggled with injuries and inconsistent performance this season, but he has enough of a resume dating back to last season with Los Angeles to be appealing to any CB-needy team for a late-round pick. Dalvin Tomlinson could likely command one as well, as could Denzel Perryman give his imminent return from the injured reserve.
It's also unlikely that Los Angeles carries all three of their current running backs into 2027, meaning that one of Kimani Vidal or Keaton Mitchell could be moved at the deadline for a late-round pick.
Now, Hortiz's argument seems to be that you can get late-round draft capital at any time, presumably by moving back in the draft like he's done frequently during his Chargers tenure. But hanging onto these contracts until the end of the season to finish with (perhaps) three or four wins is a missed opportunity. There's enough depth in these rooms to sustain these losses without permanently compromising either side of the ball, and even if there wasn't, it truly doesn't seem like the on-field product is going to be improving any time soon.
The Chargers, outside of garbage time, had perhaps their least encouraging offensive performance of the season against Houston—and that's two weeks after what was supposed to be a pivotal bye for this organization.
Maybe it was all a smoke screen, after all. But with just two days remaining until the league-wide trade deadline on Nov. 10, it feels as though Hortiz has committed to a path that has made less and less sense with each passing game. And in a season that's held myriad frustrations, that might be the biggest frustration of them all.
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