The only winless team in the NFL could hold on until the November 10 trade deadline. Despite their deeply disappointing start to the season, the Los Angeles Chargers reportedly have no interest in moving their top trade candidates. According to ESPN, the front office made it clear to other teams that Khalil Mack would remain a Charger at the deadline, and all questions regarding quarterback Justin Herbert and receiver Ladd McConkey were answered with “hard no’s.”
If the Chargers were to make a deal by Tuesday, Mack would perhaps be the least surprising trade item given that he is on an expiring contract and continues to play disruptive football from the edge rusher position, which is always in demand. But Los Angeles has always been steadfast in its desire to keep the future Hall of Famer in town until his contract ends. Mid-round draft capital would be a reasonable return for the 35-year-old, but instead the Chargers have repeatedly shut down outside interest in one of their key defensive assets.
“I want Khalil Mack here,” coach Jim Harbaugh said this week. “Khalil Mack wants to be here. He is one of the pillars of our team.”
It’s less surprising that Los Angeles put a fence around Herbert and McConkey since they could remain building blocks for any type of rebuild the franchise undertakes. Herbert remains under team control through 2029, and McConkey’s rookie contract runs through the end of next season. When the offense isn’t dysfunctional, they are remarkable players.
The obvious problem, however, is that the offense is dysfunctional this season. Herbert has thrown more interceptions (10) than any other NFL quarterback through the first eight weeks, and his passer rating of 69.3 is second-worst behind Daniel Jones among qualified signal-callers. McConkey is on pace to have his least productive season as a professional with just 17 catches in six games.
Moving on from these offensive weapons would likely force the Chargers to sell cheap, as the offense’s overall woes have cast a shadow over both players. This seems to be a failure.
Shippers stick to status quo despite putrid record
The Chargers wouldn’t appreciate the message of giving up this season. But at 0-7 and with more losses coming by more than one possession, the hole they’ve dug themselves into over the first two months of the campaign is deeper than any other team’s. There is very little to play for the rest of the course.
Los Angeles resists trading its most valuable tools, but by holding on to them, it refuses to profit from the potential picks it would receive in return. For a team that is clearly not equipped to compete in the near future, rebuilding via the draft would be a logical step forward. Instead, he’ll keep intact a core that hasn’t won a playoff game in the Harbaugh era.
Player personnel aren’t the only part of this operation that remains unchanged, either. Harbaugh retained offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel during the bye week, which was also a surprise since his system is the least productive in the NFL. No team averages fewer points per game than the Chargers at 14.1. The only tangible change in the offense came in the form of McDaniel’s move from the sideline to the box for Week 9.
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, then the Chargers — by keeping their roster intact and refusing to make changes to the coaching staff — fit that definition.
Gn sports
