Khalil Mack
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The Chicago Bears have wanted to add Khalil Mack to the fold for weeks, both before they made a blockbuster trade for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and after. But it appeared the Los Angeles Chargers had slammed that door completely shut heading into Week 9 with the NFL trade deadline just a couple of days away.
However, L.A. then lost its eighth straight contest to fall to 0-8 and may have lost quarterback Justin Herbert to an injury in the process. The Chargers QB suffered an issue involving the middle finger on his left (non-throwing) hand, which head coach Jim Harbaugh suggested after the game could indicate a fracture.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that Herbert intends to play through this injury, just as he did when he suffered a problem with his left hand last year.
“Herbert had his left hand surgically repaired during the 2025 season after breaking a bone in the back of the hand during a Week 13 game,” Florio wrote on Sunday, November 8. “He played through the injury and expects to play through his current injury.”
But the biggest difference between then and now is the fact that the Chargers were 8-4 after the contest in which Herbert hurt himself last season and eventually made the playoffs at 11-6. If Los Angeles wins out for the rest of this season, the team will finish 9-8 and still might not make the postseason.
Chargers Continued Stubbornly Ignoring Trade Requests Up Until Week 9
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack
GettyLos Angeles Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday that the Chargers have emphatically turned away all inquiries involving Mack, as well as any other potential trade target on the roster.
“The veteran pass-rusher will not be going anywhere before Tuesday’s deadline, according to sources,” they wrote.
Harbaugh said publicly before his team’s 22-point loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday that the Chargers want Mack in Southern California, and that Mack wants to remain there.
Schefter further reported on Sunday prior to the game that the organization does not want to send the message that the team is throwing in the towel on the season. However, at some point soon, it won’t be so much about surrender in L.A. as it will be about accepting the reality of a lost season.
If the Chargers are willing to do that sooner than later, they can still get some draft assets for next year in return for players like Mack who probably won’t be returning to the franchise next season and have real trade value around the NFL.
Bears Likely Pivot to Outside Cornerback Trade if They Can’t Get Back in on Khalil Mack
Las Vegas Raiders v Los Angeles Chargers
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Outside linebacker Khalil Mack of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Mack is 35 years old and on a one-year deal. His trade value is probably in the range of a fifth-round draft pick, which the Bears have to spare in 2027.
If Chicago is unable to get a deal for Mack completed, the Bears will likely try and use that asset to add an outside cornerback like Riq Woolen of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson have been about as bad as any qualifying CBs across the first half of the season, which justifies such a move on Chicago’s part. In fact, the Bears may try to use an asset or two to add Woolen even if they can get back in on talks for Mack and must utilize their 2027 fifth-round pick to acquire him.