The Los Angeles Chargers have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 NFL season. LA is 0-6 headed into Week 8 and looks completely lost as an organization. Many NFL fans and analysts expect LA to become big sellers at the NFL trade deadline. But how do the Chargers feel about all of this?
NFL insider Tom Pelissero published a mailbag article on his Substack on Thursday. He answered a question about a theoretical Ladd McConkey trade that ended up revealing LA's stance before the deadline.
“Joe, the Chargers haven’t shown much interest in trading anyone to this point. At 0-6 coming out of the bye, they still believe they have a chance to turn things around and play meaningful football late in the season,” Pelissero wrote. “But even if they do go into sell mode, I’d be shocked if Ladd McConkey is on the move. He’s still only 24 years old, in the third year of his rookie contract, and arguably the most important piece of the Chargers offense besides quarterback Justin Herbert.”
It is shocking to hear that LA is holding out hope about competing this season. Even if the Chargers went undefeated throughout the rest of the regular season, they may not make the playoffs. At this point, it is ridiculous to assume they'd go on such an epic winning streak.
The problems seem to be popping up everywhere for the Chargers. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is not thriving as a play caller. Meanwhile, Derwin James just hit injured reserve, further crippling the defense.
As for McConkey, Pelissero does not think he'll be dealt at the deadline.
Article Continues Below“Who knows where the Chargers would be if McConkey hadn’t been battling injuries for most of this season? When he’s not on the field, the Chargers don’t have another weapon capable of solving whatever problem a defensive call presents,” Pelissero aded. “Never say never, but I wouldn’t even put McConkey in the top 10 players I could see L.A. moving before the deadline.”
It will be fascinating to see if LA's attitude changes if the losses continue to mount.