Chargers not interested in Khalil Mack trade, will retain top offensive players despite 0-7 record, per report

The only winless team in the NFL may stand firm at the Nov. 10 trade deadline. Despite their deeply disappointing start to the season, the Los Angeles Chargers reportedly have no interest in moving their perceived top trade candidates. According to ESPN, the front office made it clear to other teams that edge rusher Khalil Mack will remain a Charger at the deadline, and any questions regarding quarterback Justin Herbert and wide receiver Ladd McConkey were met with "hard nos."

If the Chargers were to make a deal by Tuesday, Mack would be perhaps the least surprising trade piece considering he is on an expiring contract and continues to play disruptive football from the edge rusher position, which is always in demand. But Los Angeles has always been steadfast in its desire to keep the future Hall of Famer in town through the end of his deal. Mid-round draft capital would be a reasonable return for the 35-year-old, but instead the Chargers repeatedly shut down outside interest in one of their top defensive assets.

"I want Khalil Mack here," coach Jim Harbaugh said this week. "Khalil Mack wants to be here. He's one of the pillars of our team."

It is less surprising that Los Angeles put a fence around Herbert and McConkey since they could remain building blocks for whatever kind of rebuild the franchise undertakes. Herbert remains under team control through 2029, and McConkey's rookie deal runs through the end of next season. When the offense is non-dysfunctional, they are standout players.

The obvious issue, however, is that the offense is dysfunctional this season. Herbert threw more interceptions (10) than any other quarterback in the NFL over the first eight weeks, and his 69.3 passer rating is second-worst only to Daniel Jones among qualifying signal-callers. McConkey is on pace for his least productive season as a pro with only 17 catches across six games.

Moving on from those offensive weapons would likely require the Chargers to sell low, because the offense's overall woes have cast a shadow over both players. That appears to be a non-starter.

Chargers stick to status quo despite putrid record

The Chargers reportedly do not like the message of giving up on this season. But at 0-7 and with more of their losses coming by more than one possession than not, the hole they dug themselves into over the first two months of the campaign is deeper than that of any other team. There is very little to play for the rest of the way.

Los Angeles is opposed to trading its most valuable tools, but by holding onto them, it is declining to cash in on the potential draft picks it would receive in return. For a team that is clearly not equipped to contend in the near future, rebuilding through the draft would be a logical step forward. Instead, it will keep intact a core that has not won a playoff game in the Harbaugh era.

Player personnel is not the only part of this operation that remains unchanged, either. Harbaugh retained offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel through the bye week, which also came as a surprise since his system is the least productive in the NFL. No team averages fewer points per game than the Chargers at 14.1. The only tangible change to the offense has come in the form of McDaniel moving from the sideline to the box for Week 9.

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, then the Chargers -- by way of keeping their roster intact and declining to make changes on the coaching staff -- fit that bill.

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