The 0-7 Los Angeles Chargers insist they don't want to be sellers at next week's NFL trade deadline. That was their latest stance entering Week 8, according to The Athletic's Jonathan Jones. Their use of veteran defender Khalil Mack, who is a popular name in trade rumors to contenders, in Sunday's 24-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams says otherwise.

As noted by Chicago Bears reporter Nicholas Moreano, the Chargers played Mack just 35 total defensive snaps in their defeat to the Rams. That is notably fewer snaps than in any of the Chargers' previous six games and the first time all season Mack didn't even play 40. Mind you, the Chargers just came off a bye week, so it would be kind of ludicrous to suggest they were trying to do something like preserve Mack's energy for themselves. Sunday was when he should have been at his freshest!

That, for all intents and purposes, is the sort of noteworthy decrease in snap count that might point to the Chargers trying to subtly preserve Mack's trade value to interested teams with their season already likely down the drain.

If the Chargers do want to trade the 35-year-old Mack, why wouldn't they just sit him? Why would they say they're closed for business on prospective deals? I get why these questions would come up because none of this makes much sense at face value.

For one, Mack is a competitor at heart. No matter the Chargers' bleak situation on the field, I don't imagine he'd be pleased at a benching designed to ensure he stays healthy for any team acquiring his services. Above all, he wants to play. For the other, playing Mack less like this while simultaneously saying you don't want to make trades in public is a smart way of trying (emphasis on "trying") to keep a leg up in any potential future trade negotiations. If the Chargers say they want to do a fire sale outright, it stands to reason they could lose some measure of leverage (and, by extension, value) in said trades. Playing Mack but playing him less could be their way of maintaining a facade for other NFL general managers (whether they buy it or not).

No NFL team has ever made the playoffs after starting 0-7. I find it hard to believe the Chargers won't trade anyone before the deadline. That would be extremely counterproductive. I suppose we'll find out the truth with this Mack situation and otherwise soon enough.