The Chargers shifted late in the trade deadline process, becoming receptive to selling pieces over the past day, but Khalil Mack still looked like a long shot to be dealt by the 3pm CT deadline. That was the update from Jordan Schultz as Los Angeles continued to navigate an unexpected season at 0-8.
The timing matters because the Chargers had previously been described as not open for business. With their record far below preseason expectations, the deadline became less about standing pat and more about deciding whether a team in that position should turn contract-year players into future draft capital.
What changed for Los Angeles
According to Schultz, the Chargers' stance softened in the final hours before the deadline. Rather than holding everyone in place, the team became willing to listen on pieces that could bring value back in a trade. Schultz specifically pointed to contract-year players as the group to watch.
That is where the focus turned to Mack, who was on an expiring contract and had been linked to trade rumors alongside Donte Jackson and Dalvin Tomlinson. Even with that interest, Mack was still considered a long shot to move.
Why Mack was still unlikely to go
Mack remains the most recognizable name in the group, but that does not automatically make a trade likely. At 35 years old, he is still a prominent veteran presence, and the Chargers would have had to decide whether moving him made more sense than keeping one of their biggest names through the end of a lost season.
His production and resume still carry weight. Mack has 110 career starts, and even with only four starts this season, his value as a veteran edge rusher is obvious. He has long been one of the league's most accomplished defensive players, with a reputation that stretches from his prime years into the present day.
What it means going forward
For the Chargers, the deadline was about balancing urgency with reality. A team that entered the season with higher expectations is now at 0-8, and that kind of record usually forces difficult decisions. The late shift toward selling suggested Los Angeles was at least willing to consider that reality.
Still, the update on Mack was clear: interest did not equal momentum. By the deadline, he remained a long shot to be dealt, which meant the Chargers' biggest-name trade candidate was still more likely to stay put than change teams.
If nothing else, the deadline showed a team that had resisted the idea of moving veterans was at least open to rethinking that position. Whether the Chargers actually move on from Mack or another contract-year player will determine how aggressive this reset becomes.
