It’s no secret that the Chargers are struggling to begin the 2026 season.

Through six games, Los Angeles sits at 0–6 with the league’s lowest-scoring offense at 15 points per game and a middling defense that’s allowing 330 yards and 25.2 points per game. If things don’t turn around quickly, coach Jim Harbaugh may find himself on the hot seat as we approach the midway point of the campaign.

Still, even as the Chargers work to win now and, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “have given no indication that they are willing to make any trades at this time,” general manager Joe Hortiz and the front office must also consider the long-term future of the franchise—and potentially become sellers at the trade deadline. 

That’s where Khalil Mack comes in.

The Raiders selected the veteran edge rusher with the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft, traded him to the Bears ahead of the ’18 season and signed him to a deal with the Chargers in ’22. At 35, Mack remains an impactful player, with 19 total tackles and three sacks so far this season. With Los Angeles failing to find its footing, he could very well be the team’s most sought-after asset.

Here are four potential landing spots for Mack.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills have begun the 2026 season 5–1 thanks to a rip-roaring offense that’s scoring a league-best 32.8 points per game. Defensively, however, it’s been a different story. 

Over six games, Buffalo’s defense has allowed the second-most yards per game (386.8) and the third-most points per game (28.7) while tallying just six turnovers and 11 sacks on opposing quarterbacks. The Bills have also logged a pressure rate of just 30.0%, the second-lowest in the NFL behind only the Colts (24.4%).

The Bills are familiar with bringing in a veteran edge rusher (see: Von Miller in 2022), but Mack is also no stranger to western New York, having played collegiately for the Buffalo Bulls from 2009 to ’13. Mack made it known as recently as last season that he wants to play in important games and ultimately win a Super Bowl before his career comes to an end. Joining a perennial contender in the Bills would certainly give him a chance to reach those goals.

Chicago Bears

Speaking of Super Bowl contenders, the Bears have won two consecutive games since quarterback Caleb Williams’s return and sit at 5–2 on the year, good for second place in a tight NFC North race.

As Rapoport reported, Chicago is “expected to have interest in Mack” at the trade deadline—a move that would set up quite the reunion. After sitting out of the 2018 preseason amid a contract dispute, Mack was traded from the Raiders to the Bears and subsequently signed a six-year extension that made him the highest-paid defender in NFL history. He would go on to play four seasons with the club, earning three Pro Bowl nods and a first-team All-Pro selection. 

While the Bears defense currently ranks in the NFL’s top 10 in points per game allowed (20.4), yards per game allowed (313.4), sacks (19) and turnovers (10), it could ultimately become their kryptonite by season’s end as they’ve dealt with an abundance of injuries on that side of the ball. Adding Mack to a defensive line room already featuring Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat would turn Chicago’s front seven into an elite unit down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys and Jerry Jones are always eager to make deadline moves, and after their Monday Night Football win over the Eagles in Week 7, they’ll almost certainly throw their hats into the ring over the next several weeks. In fact, Jones told 105.7 The FAN in Dallas on Tuesday morning that the team would like to make another significant move to bolster their defense. However, he acknowledged, “It’s unlikely we’ll get the opportunity from the outside coming in, but if it’s there, I’ll do it.”

Whoever ultimately calls first, a cross-conference trade with the Chargers for Mack would make plenty of sense for the Cowboys. Dallas has sacked opposing quarterbacks just 10 times this season, the fifth-fewest in the NFL, and has logged a pressure rate of just 32.8%, the ninth-lowest in football. Plus, as noted by Roundtable’s Kyler Fox, there’s a hidden connection between Mack and the Cowboys: Dallas’ assistant secondary coach Robert Muschamp spent three seasons with the Chargers as a quality control coach and worked specifically with the outside linebackers in 2023, when Mack earned his eighth-career Pro Bowl honor behind a career-high 17 sacks. 

With Dallas desperate for a pass-rush boost and Jones likely feigning to make another move, Mack would be an ideal fit as the Cowboys look to make this season count.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers lost their first game of the season in Week 7, falling to the Falcons 29–20 while leaving Michael Penix Jr. untouched. The defeat marked the third time this season San Francisco’s defense went without a sack, and the first it failed to record a quarterback hit.

Needless to say, the 49ers could use some help generating pressure.

General manager John Lynch downplayed the possibility of San Francisco being buyers at the trade deadline last week, noting that the team will “get some things to feel like acquisitions with guys just getting healthy” but will “continue to monitor the rest of the league.”

That said, 2025 trade deadline acquisition Keion White currently leads the 49ers with 3.5 sacks, and even with Nick Bosa nearing a return from the calf injury that has sidelined him for the past five weeks, there’s a case to be made that San Francisco could still use another pass rusher to complement its defensive front. Adding a veteran like Mack could elevate the 49ers from Super Bowl contenders to legitimate favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy by season’s end.