Would the Los Angeles Chargers trade defensive stars Khalil Mack or Joey Bosa?
According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, the Chargers are open to trading several veteran players, including Mack and Bosa. Though teams are interested, several want to see if the Chargers would cut either player first.
Though Mack and Bosa are two talented defenders, trading them could help the Chargers cap issues. Mack and Bosa currently account for a significant portion of the Chargers' cap, with Mack taking $38.52 million and Bosa accounting for $36.61 million.
Currently, the Chargers are almost $19 million over the cap. They did recently make some room by releasing Eric Kendricks, saving $6.5 million, but even still the Chargers are over the cap.
Of the two players, losing Mack would likely prove most impactful. Mack spent the last two seasons with the Chargers, having a career resurgence in 2023.
Mack finished fourth in the NFL in sacks with 17, the most of the former Defensive Player of the Year's career. He added in five forced fumbles as well, highlighted by his game against the Las Vegas Raiders when he put up six sacks and two forced fumbles.
Meanwhile, Bosa has spent his entire career with the Chargers, since he was drafted third overall in 2016. Though Bosa has made four Pro Bowls and won Defensive Rookie of the Year, he's also been marred by injuries.
This past season, Bosa went on IR in the second half of the season due to a foot sprain.
There's no guarantee that the Chargers will trade either player. However, if the transaction does happen, it would be a sad move, but also helpful for the team to shift to some younger and more affordable defenders.
More must-reads: