Chargers' Biggest Need Ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline Is Painfully Obvious

Now that the Los Angeles Chargers are 0-6 and injuries are mounting, it is becoming more and more obvious which position the Chargers should look into adding.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Chargers are now 0-6 after losing six in a row to start the 2026 NFL season. With the NFL trade deadline quickly approaching, the Chargers should be a team that is looking to "sell" and rebuild.

However, with the current state of the team's offense and the health of a certain position, it seems that buying for the current and future state of the team could be an intriguing jolt of excitement for the team and fanbase.

The Chargers Need Another Wide Receiver...ASAP

The Bolts' wide receiver room after Week 6 stands as:
Quentin Johnston
KeAndre Lambert-Smith
Theo Wease Jr.
Derius Davis

These players have combined for 220 amount of receiving yards, less than Keenan Allen has with the Colts. The Chargers' passing offense is ranked last in EPA (SumerSports). Simply unacceptable for any NFL offense, especially one that features Justin Herbert and Mike McDaniel...even if both of those individuals are having arguably the worst season of their careers.

A big reason for the lack of yardage is the lack of healthy passing threats, with the team currently missing Ladd McConkey, Tre Harris and Brenen Thompson. McConkey has been banged up with multiple different injuries, even dating back to the offseason. He is the team's best receiving threat by far when he is out on the field. The issue is that he is never on it. His snaps played are third on the team behind Johnston and Harris, who have both missed time with injuries as well.

Harris has been one of the very few bright spots of the Chargers' offense, showing real ability in his second season in the league. His hamstring injury is considered week-to-week, giving the team the option to find a trade partner to help bolster the room while Harris heals.

Thompson was the Chargers' fourth-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, not playing much since entering the NFL. This was mainly due to his quadriceps strain injury, which prevented him from proving whether that selection was worth it or not.

With this group of receivers, the Chargers are essentially left with no other option than to look at other teams for available receivers.

A few names to look out for are:

• Brian Thomas Jr., the Jaguars' first-round pick who had nearly 1400 yards as a rookie, but has seemingly fallen out of favor in the team's offense, having only 105 yards in the team's six games played.

• Jerry Jeudy, a veteran receiver who specializes in separation. He has been replaced by the Brown's early round selections of KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston at the position. He has 81 yards for the season.

• Jauan Jennings is another veteran receiver who can be a physical yet reliable presence to any passing attack. He is simply not getting the opportunities in Minnesota, with nine yards in four games played.

Is adding a receiver to this offense just like putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound? Or is it the exact antidote to help this team get into a groove?

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