Earlier this week, we painted the Los Angeles Chargers as a delusional franchise based on NFL trade rumors around Jim Harbaugh’s club. 

Those 0-5 Chargers, after all, weren’t expected to be sellers at the upcoming NFL trade deadline. But falling to 0-6 would put the Chargers in a point of no return that would change things, right? 

Maybe not. 

Before the Chargers visited the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6 at Arrowhead Stadium, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport went live and updated the situation. 

“Still plenty of confidence in coach Jim Harbaugh,” Rapoport said. “Still plenty of confidence in offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel…They are not acting like a team that’s going to sell. So yes, teams have been calling about Khalil Mack and several other players. Is Justin Herbert available? No. The answer is no. The Chargers believe the answers are in the building."

Chargers’ NFL trade rumors fallout

For now, this isn’t too shocking. Disappointing for fans, surely. But not shocking. 

The Chargers aren’t going to risk mutiny in the locker room by waving the white flag publicly or to reporters in Week 6. Looking at the schedule, though, the Week 7 bye was always the point to circle in red. 

If the Chargers were ever going to reverse course on a major overarching plan, it was always going to gain traction in Week 7 during the bye. If they walk into that at 0-6, it’s not hard to see how this public tune might change. 

Considering the Chargers play the Rams, Texans and Ravens through Week 10, they could be looking at 0-9. But the bye is when things would likely really change. 

And change feels like a must and inevitable. To outsiders, it certainly feels like Harbaugh’s message and style is failing. It certainly looks like McDaniel’s offense is too complex. And it certainly looks like general manager Joe Hortiz’s compensatory-pick, money-saving ways are backfiring with a staggeringly poor roster. 

In fact, this is one of those long-term critical points for a franchise. No 0-5 team has made the playoffs. If the Chargers start winning now, but miss the playoffs, it would give the team an excuse to run everything back. If they keep losing, they could be forced out of this lull and into change, for better or worse. 

The Chargers won’t ever admit to it, of course. But trading off the likes of Khalil Mack and others while revamping the strategy during the bye remains the obvious outcome if they lose in Kansas City.