Rams, 49ers emerge as potential landing spots for Chargers' Khalil Mack

The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-3, and suddenly, a player who wasn't supposed to be available is worth watching as the NFL trade deadline gets closer.

Rams and 49ers linked to $18 million pass-rusher in trade rumors

Khalil Mack came back to Los Angeles this offseason on a one-year, fully guaranteed $18 million deal. Three games into the season, his name is already popping up in trade speculation.

ESPN's Dan Graziano listed Mack among the players who could potentially be moved before the deadline if things don't turn around in Los Angeles.

Nobody is saying the Chargers are shopping him. At 0-3, though, it's not hard to see how they could get there.

Khalil Mack would be an interesting deadline piece

Mack is 35. He's also on an expiring contract, which is where this starts making sense for Los Angeles if the season gets away from it.

His $18 million contract included a $10 million signing bonus. That means a team acquiring him wouldn't be taking on the entire deal. It would only be responsible for what's left of his $8 million base salary.

And Mack can still rush the passer.

He has two sacks through three games and entered 2026 with 113 in his career. He's a nine-time Pro Bowler, a three-time first-team All-Pro and a former Defensive Player of the Year.

There would be teams willing to find snaps for that guy in December.

Rams and 49ers mentioned as possible fits

Bleacher Report recently floated the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers as potential landing spots while projecting a conditional 2027 fourth-round pick as a possible return.

That's speculation, not a report that either team has called the Chargers.

But both are interesting.

Neither would need Mack to come in and save the defense. This would be a veteran addition for a team thinking about January, and Mack wouldn't come with a long-term contract attached.

The bigger question is whether Los Angeles ever reaches the point where it's willing to listen.

Three losses probably aren't enough. If 0-3 turns into 1-5 or 2-6, the trade discussions may disappear.

At that point, keeping a 35-year-old pass rusher on an expiring deal just to finish out a lost season wouldn't accomplish much. Getting a draft pick for him would.

The Chargers still have time to make all of this disappear.

If they don't, Mack could become one of the more recognizable names available before the deadline.