Khalil Mack expresses his desire to remain with Chargers—but we'll see what happens

The Los Angeles Chargers, as of now, have not publicly expressed any sort of willingness to entertain stripping back this roster at the deadline.

The reasons for that stance from Joe Hortiz remain unclear. Does he believe this roster has a chance to turn things around before the end of the season? Is it that the soon-to-be-departed free agents can provide Los Angeles with a leg up in the compensatory pick formula? Or is it simply in an effort to stave off total defeat, and in doing so, keep his job through this offseason?

Now, almost no one is going to advocate a complete tear-down of this roster except for teams circling around the Chargers seeking their star players at the deadline. Tuli Tuipulotu shouldn't be moved, nor should pieces like Ladd McConkey and Derwin James Jr.

But especially when it comes to the expiring contracts the Chargers have on the books, there needs to be some real consideration there. Pieces like Donte Jackson, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Denzel Perryman could all fetch a sixth or seventh-round pick if the right suitor revealed itself, and these are not true building blocks for the team moving forward.

The one exception there, quite obviously, is Khalil Mack. As long as Mack wants to stay in Los Angeles and finish out his career there, he should have the right to do so, and it appears he expressed exactly that in response to a question from The Athletic's Noah Furtado yesterday.

But Mack has always been a consummate professional, and this quote doesn't necessarily tell the whole story. What happens at the trade deadline (and this offseason) will.

We won't have a final answer on Chargers' Khalil Mack stance until the trade deadline has passed

I'm certainly not going to be the first one to advocate for a Mack trade. He's a cornerstone of the Chargers defense, and he'll be key to keeping the team's morale and identity intact over the remainder of the season as the younger players continue to develop. Even beyond that, he's earned the right to determine where he wants to end his career, even if that's to Los Angeles' detriment in terms of amassing draft capital in a lost season.

Whatever Mack decides is what should happen.

But there's a reason speculation around the league has abounded regarding his availability—it's simply an obvious path for Mack and the Chargers to take. Mack returned to the team, twice now, on a one-year deal after contemplating retirement in the offseason in order to have a chance to compete for a Super Bowl. Los Angeles made the playoffs last season, sure, but have they really come close to providing him with that?

The Chargers, for their part, tend to covet mid and late-round draft selection—where Hortiz typically thrives with his scouting background. A fourth or fifth-round selection in exchange for sending Mack to a true contender should make all parties satisfied, at least theoretically.

But Mack publicly wants to stay in Los Angeles. That could very well be the end of the matter, especially considering what a mid-season move to a new team would demand at this point in his career.

There's still a long way to go, though, between now and the Nov. 10 trade deadline, and Mack isn't one to publicly bash his team or the results of this season by expressing a desire, or even an openness, to be traded in a media setting. It's simply not going to happen, no matter what Mack or the organization's true stance is.

The same goes for Hortiz and his apparent refusal to engage with other teams' trade calls. Is it a smoke screen, or is that the organization's true stance? Again, we won't know until the deadline has passed and the business has concluded.

Right now, it seems like everything is trending toward Mack staying in Los Angeles, and that's something that should be celebrated. He's here to finish what he started, and the Chargers need to provide him with some sort of silver lining before what's likely his final NFL season comes to a close.

It's simply important to point out that this quote isn't necessarily the end of the issue for either party.

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