NFL Trade Speculation Could Be Good News For Chargers

For a Los Angeles Chargers team looking to get over the hump in the Wild Card round, they'll need to think outside of the box when it comes to upgrades this offseason. They have the resources to do so, with $83.5 million in cap space currently, along with five picks in the NFL Draft.

According to insiders, the upcoming free agency and draft classes aren't very appealing. Teams have been better at locking up their own talent before they hit the open market. The draft is a different story, as Fernando Mendoza is pretty much a lock to go No.1 overall. After him, nobody truly knows what will happen.

Adam Schefter mentioned that with these notions, the trade market could explode more than it has in recent years. For the Chargers, this could be great news.

Chargers could strike with booming 2026 trade market

The focus this offseason will be improving the offense, as the Chargers had a lackluster output compared to other teams. They failed to have a 1,000-yard rusher or receiver in 2025. In fact, no receiver reached the 800-yard mark. With this being said, the Chargers could look to make a trade for a major receiving threat.

With teams considering the upcoming free-agent and draft classes to be subpar, there could be an uptick in trade activity this off-season.

With @DanStanczyk:

🎧 https://t.co/FSBvK8wSE8 pic.twitter.com/bb9pX31jHV
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 11, 2026

"I've had GMs, front office executives, scouts, who've been looking at this free agent class and saying, 'not a great class.' These teams have done a great job at tying up their players longterm and making sure they don't get to free agency," Schefter said. "When people talk about the draft... people aren't all that excited about the draft either. You've got a free agent class that's not real deep. We've got a draft that's not considered real deep. It tells me that we may get more wheeling and dealing in trades."

If this is true then the Chargers could potentially make a blockbuster trade for a top target. One name that comes up immediately is A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles, who seems to be heading for a new home sooner rather than later. Another potential name could be D.J. Moore of the Chicago Bears, who could become expendable with a large contract and two younger options behind him.

The Chargers may be in position to strike with a big trade in the next few weeks.

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