Chargers shouldn't sell at the trade deadline despite 0-6 start

The Los Angeles Chargers haven’t held a 0-6 record since 2000, when the team still played in San Diego. They finished 1-15, traded the No. 1 pick and ended up with LaDainian Tomlinson for a pretty good reward.

Twenty-six years later, the Chargers find themselves in the same position but with arguably better talent on this roster, causing contending teams to be chomping at the bit to help themselves to their pick of the litter.

The Chargers can easily be sellers at the trade deadline — but that would be unwise

Players like Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, Dalvin Tomlinson and Donte Jackson, to name a few, have been thrown around in numerous trade rumors prior to the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET. Even surprising players like Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey have been involved.

It would obviously be smart to part ways with a couple of the older players for more picks, but giving up on this young core during one down season would be a bad move for Chargers GM Joe Hortiz to make.

Who is to blame for the Chargers’ woes?

Los Angeles is coming off back-to-back 11-6 seasons, along with back-to-back losses in the AFC wild-card round, but head coach Jim Harbaugh’s tenure has been successful up until this point.

The team has been riddled with injuries, especially on the offensive line, and have seen nothing but misery offensively since bringing in former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator. McDaniel made it a point to improve Herbert’s footwork and anticipatory throwing, which has led to a regression in the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, who is on pace for career-low numbers in his seventh season.

It’s clear that McDaniel is not a good fit in Los Angeles and has caused the team to take a big step back in 2026. However, Harbaugh is sticking with McDaniel for now, and that stubbornness may end up costing both coaches their jobs.

Is there a silver lining for the Chargers?

Harbaugh’s commitment to McDaniel will further tank the Chargers’ season, but that may end up being a good thing. Los Angeles currently holds the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft, and while it’s unlikely it will run the table in futility, it can keep pace to earn that pick and potentially use it just like it did in the 2001 draft.

Much like 2001, there is a clear-cut skill player at the top of the class in Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith, who would fill a longtime need for Los Angeles. Herbert has only seen four receivers accumulate over 1,000 yards during his tenure — Mike Williams and Keenan Allen in 2021, Allen in 2023 and McConkey in 2024 — and the team has been seeking a reliable No. 1 target since Allen’s initial departure after that 2023 season.

A WR hasn’t been selected No. 1 overall since Keyshawn Johnson in 1996, and the Chargers would have the power to either trade down, like in 2001, or do something that hasn’t been done in 31 years.

Regardless, as long as Smith is more Garrett Wilson than Marvin Harrison Jr. and Herbert can have those McDaniel mechanics coached out of him, tossing this season aside, but retaining the main core, could end up being beneficial for the Chargers in the long run.