What's next for Chargers? Why Khalil Mack should be traded, plus what to do about Jim Harbaugh, Mike McDaniel

Five teams entered Week 5 with an 0-4 record, no two more surprising than the Texans and the Chargers. Both playoff staples of the past few years, they were trying to take the first step in joining the 1992 Chargers as the only teams to start 0-4 and make the postseason.

One succeeded. The Texans thumped the inept Titans 26-3. The other failed. The Chargers fell 23-17 to the Broncos in an eyesore of a game. Neither Bo Nix nor Justin Herbert reached 125 yards passing. The Broncos' 224 yards of offense were the second-fewest in a win this season.

The difference was turnovers. The Broncos forced three -- awful fumbles by Herbert and Charlie Kolar and a terrible pick by Herbert -- and turned that into 13 points. A fourth "turnover," a turnover on downs early in the fourth quarter, set the stage for the collapse. The Chargers had actually scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 17-10 lead. Their possessions after that? Three and out, turnover on downs, fumble, interception, end of game.

The Chargers lead the NFL with 13 turnovers this season, and they've come in all shapes and sizes.

Simply put, it's over. It might have been over for a while, but this absolutely drives the point home in more ways than one. Not only is it over in terms of competitive football, but, with the trade deadline less than a month away, it's over in terms of what the next big goals should be for this organization. The Chargers started four rookies on the offensive line, three of whom were drafted in the fourth round or later. Herbert took five sacks, including one, fittingly, on the final play, setting up for a Hail Mary.

Los Angeles was also without its top two wide receivers, Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston. But guess what? The Broncos were without their top two corners -- superstar Patrick Surtain II as well as Riley Moss -- and figured out a way to defend effectively. Bad teams find ways to lose games, and the Chargers are a bad team.

Technically speaking, the Chargers have the Chiefs next week as their brutal schedule continues. But in the grander scheme, up next are big questions about the roster, the coaching staff and the front office. Those questions must be answered, maybe sooner rather than later.

What happens with Justin Herbert, Jim Harbaugh, Mike McDaniel?

Jim Harbaugh got two pointed questions to end his press conference on Sunday. First: Do things have to change -- particularly with the offense -- given the struggles, or is it to continue doing what they've been doing?

"Just keep digging deep and moving forward," Harbaugh said. "That's what staying the course looks like, and coach being right about the decisions, these critical decisions. That's as important as anything."

Second question: Why stay the course when the course has led you here?

"Keep working harder, keep working smarter," Harbaugh said. "That's just the truth. That's the answer."

Harbaugh has to say that then, but it's clear it's not the answer. In fact, earlier in the press conference when asked about what message can get through to an 0-5 team, Harbaugh said, "I don't know what that message is."

There is no message for a team like this, no magic potion. The marriage between Herbert and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has gone completely bust. There were always going to be differences between the two stylistically -- Herbert hangs in the pocket and delivers downfield, McDaniel wants a quick, on-time passing attack -- but Herbert looks like he needs a complete reboot. 

I know the Herbert discourse is treading on thin ice, but this is a quarterback who threw three interceptions in 2024 and seven in 2023. He threw 13 last year, but his 2.5% interception rate was hardly worrying. This year, he has seven picks already, many of the jaw-dropping-bad variety. His 4.9% interception rate is second-worst in the NFL and on par with J.J. McCarthy last year. Yikes!

It's also not indicative of who he is as a player. He entered this season with a 1.7% interception rate. There's been no physical decline. He's 28 years old. A complete fall off like this would be unprecedented. Herbert has been awful, but it's clear he's in a tough spot, too: the wrong fit, a bad ecosystem around him, etc.

The Chargers have to keep playing Herbert 1.) to hope he improves, 2.) to see what works and what doesn't and 3.) because turning to DJ Uiagalelei doesn't help anything or anyone (except for maybe Herbert).

So that leads us to McDaniel. Harbaugh said McDaniel's job was safe last week, but that was before the worst offensive performance this season (3.8 yards per play, 36% success rate, -0.30 EPA per play). In fact, the Chargers now rank dead last in offensive EPA per play, largely due to turnovers.

There is a world where the product improves, but the Chargers are already so far out of it that it doesn't matter. The goal should be to get Herbert to play —if not good football, at least viable football—by cutting down on turnovers and sacks, improving consistency on completions, etc. Replacing McDaniel right now doesn't make sense. The entire offense was just overhauled to McDaniel's very specific system, and you can't just replace a system and build a new one in a week. McDaniel will likely be a late-season or post-season fire.

And then there's Harbaugh, who has taken a lot of hits this season. The McDaniel hire didn't work. Even the defense has regressed. Harbaugh blamed himself for Sunday's loss after the fourth-and-1 decision, though ESPN's model actually agreed with going for it, and Herbert defended the decision as well.

Harbaugh shouldn't be fired this season, and he shouldn't be fired after the season. He clearly missed on his offensive coordinator hire, and it's not his fault he lost last year's ace defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter, to the Ravens job. The Chargers haven't quit on Harbaugh, which would be a sign that they're moving on.

Harbaugh went 11-6 each of his first two seasons in Los Angeles, lifting a franchise that had been stuck in mediocrity. Harbaugh's exit from his other NFL coaching spot -- the 49ers from 2011-14 -- ended in a quick downfall, but that was due to a reported front-office/coach rift. As long as that's not the case, Harbaugh deserves a chance to get the operation back on track.

GM Joe Hortiz's name is one to watch. He was previously with the Ravens and Jim's brother, John. The Ravens have a long history of stability and patience. Their GM, Eric DeCosta, has been with the team since its inaugural 1996 season and GM since 2019, through ups, downs and disappointments. Hortiz might not be afforded that leash, and a season from hell like this is much worse than anything DeCosta's produced in Baltimore, but it's worth acknowledging.

Long story short, if I had to guess, the Chargers will keep Herbert and Harbaugh and fire McDaniel at season's end or at least sometime in November or December. Hortiz is truly on the fence, and how the team's youngsters look could go a long way. This is only his third year as GM, and he had built a winner in 2024 and 2025. Seasons like this, though, often come with major change.

Four Chargers who could/should be traded

With the Nov. 10 trade deadline rapidly approaching, the Chargers should be active sellers. They might be able to fetch a better return if they trade away pieces sooner rather than later, and at 0-5, now is very much the time to sell.

The most obvious trade candidate here, Khalil Mack is still playing excellent football at 35 years old. He has three sacks, five tackles for loss and 14 pressures this year. He is on a one-year deal, so moving him makes all the sense in the world, and there should be plenty of suitors. The Athletic's Jonathan Jones pitched a Bears reunion as an idea, and said one GM and one assistant GM both agreed a fifth-round price tag makes sense.

Donte Jackson played well for the Chargers in both 2024 and 2025 under Minter and has taken a slight step back in his tiny 2026 sample size. Like Mack, Jackson is only signed through the end of this season. Trying to extract value for a 30-year-old cornerback might be difficult, but nine interceptions from 2024-25 don't lie. It'd likely be a late-round pick or pick swap in return. A reunion with Carolina, a team dealing with multiple cornerback injuries, could be worth exploring.

This is a real "eye of the beholder" situation. Quentin Johnston has been bad this year after showing legitimate improvement in 2025. He has massive drop issues and is, at this point, a bust who wasn't drafted by this regime. But he's also an elite size/speed combination who gets open and has first-round pedigree. There are plenty of front-office people who will remember having a draft crush on him not long ago. Johnston is cheap this year and then more expensive in his fifth-year option year. Could a contender see a role for him and believe they are the right spot for a fresh start?

David Njoku is currently on IR, though if he can return to health before the deadline, the Chargers should look to move him. Injuries and age have sapped him of his once-elite athleticism, but he can still produce, and he's a known name. That last part always helps.