As the Los Angeles Chargers enter their bye week with an 0-6 record, there's not really a way to get around the fact that this season is over—at least in terms of playoff contention.
Sure, maybe the offense can find a way to turn things around. And the defense under first-year play caller Chris O'Leary has looked solid. This is a team that, with some lucky injury breaks, can at least theoretically be semi-competitive by the end of the season. But they haven't done anything to prove that through six weeks, and the organization's sights need to be set out on resetting the roster for 2027 and beyond.
It makes sense, then, to at least make one or two moves at the deadline in order to amass some additional draft capital for this offseason. Even a pair of mid-round picks can be packaged to move up at a crucial spot in the draft.
Joe Hortiz has said he's not yet fielding calls, but if anything was going to change that stance, it was another rough loss in Week 6 against the Kansas City Chiefs. With just under three weeks between now and the Nov. 10 deadline, then, let's take a closer look at some of Los Angeles' potential trade candidates.
5 Chargers trade candidates who could be moved between now and the Nov. 10 deadline
1. Khalil Mack, OLB
It's ultimately Mack's decision whether he wants to finish out his career in Los Angeles or not. He's earned that right over the past few seasons, and besides that, he has a no-trade clause in his contract that gives him control over any potential move.
But there will be a number of teams, including the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears, that are likely to be looking for pass rush help before the deadline. A player of Mack's caliber, with both pure pass-rush instict and a solid, all-around run defending skill set, should be attractive to those squads. If Mack wants to pursue a Super Bowl in what could be his final NFL season, Los Angeles has no reason not to grab a fourth or fifth-round pick in exchange for fulfilling his request.
2. Kimani Vidal, RB
Prior to the start of the season, I would've been the first to argue that a Vidal trade simply didn't make sense until we saw this offense unfold. He was brilliant last season when he filled in as the Chargers' primary back, and the injury concerns surrounding Keaton Mitchell made Vidal temporarily indispensable.
The picture looks markedly different now. He's seen an increase in touches over the past couple of weeks, but he's posted just 21 carries for 109 yards across six games this season. Even as Mike McDaniel leans into Vidal's between-the-tackles ability, he's still decidedly RB3 in this rotation. For a team in need of running back depth, though, he could easily be a capable and high-volume RB2.
The Chargers also have some talent on the practice squad in Gregory Desrosiers and Amar Johnson to fill that spot if Vidal is moved before the deadline.
3. Donte Jackson, CB
Jackson is a tough one—simply because moving him at any point this season immediately hamstrings O'Leary's secondary. But he'll be a free agent this offseason, and it's reasonable to expect the front office to be looking at a real investment at the cornerback position either in the draft or free agency. Jackson, meanwhile, has been solid enough during his time with the Chargers that he should be looking for a bigger deal, even as he enters his age-32 season.
If the Chargers don't plan on bringing Jackson back this offseason, it's only the logical thing to attempt to move him at the deadline. It would put an extra burden upon Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart, but Los Angeles has managed to survive the past couple weeks defensively without their veteran corner in the fold.
4. David Njoku, TE
This would require Njoku to return from the injured reserve probably by the Chargers' Week 8 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, and he wasn't listed in Harbaugh's enumeration of the players slated for imminent returns in the head coach's press availability on Monday.
But this was meant to be a career-reviving season for Njoku, whom the Chargers took a flyer on with a one-year, $3 million deal that stretched much higher with certain incentives. There are certainly teams that will be looking for an additional pass-catching tight end at the deadline, and if Njoku is healthy, he could be an option for those organizations to explore.
A more productive campaign through six or seven games would likely have helped Njoku's case here, but he's still a real candidate to be moved if the Chargers think they can fill out that room with some combination of Hayden Rucci, Scott Matlock, and Patrick Herbert.
5. Quentin Johnston, WR
Can one massive catch save a player's season? That's what the Chargers will be trying to sort out post-bye when it comes to Quentin Johnston, who made one of the most impressive grabs of his career on a 57-yard bomb from Justin Herbert in Week 6.
Johnston's production on the season, though, is still highly underwhelming—he's posted just eight receptions (on 22 targets) for 165 yards and no touchdowns through five games. The Chargers, having picked up his fifth-year option, also owe him nearly $16.5 million next season fully guaranteed. Any team that makes a move for Johnston is going to need to have faith in his ability to justify that value on their roster.
While this might be an ideal move for the Chargers, I doubt it gets done before the deadline.
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