Chargers Open to Trading Star Pass Rushers Bosa & Mack

As the new NFL league year approaches, the Los Angeles Chargers find themselves in a difficult salary cap situation. According to reports from The Athletic, the team has garnered significant trade interest for two of their premier defensive players - pass rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.

The financial realities facing the Chargers are stark. Bosa and Mack carry the two highest cap hits on the team at $36.6 million and $38.5 million respectively. With the Chargers currently over the salary cap by a whopping $20.6 million, drastic measures may be required to become cap compliant before the new league year begins on Wednesday.

While interested teams are said to be monitoring the situation closely, some are even anticipating that the Chargers could outright release Bosa or Mack rather than trading them away. The 2016 Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2016 Defensive Player of the Year awards belonging to the star duo only add to the intrigue surrounding their uncertain futures in Los Angeles.

For the Chargers, trading away either Bosa or Mack would represent a major coup for any team looking to bolster their pass rush. However, the decision is likely not an easy one given the elite production both players have provided in recent years.

Since being acquired from the Bears last season, Mack has been an iron man - suiting up for every game and racking up 124 tackles and 25 sacks over his 34-game tenure in LA. At 33 years old, he has shown no signs of slowing down.

Bosa’s case is more complicated. While undoubtedly talented, racking up 67 sacks across 93 career games with the Chargers, injuries have severely limited his availability over the past two seasons. Bosa has suited up just 14 times since 2021, managing 30 tackles and 9 sacks over that span while dealing with a groin issue that required surgery.

Off-field discipline has also been a factor, with Bosa’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty proving costly in the Chargers’ playoff loss to Jacksonville after he removed his helmet on the field as the Jaguars mounted an unprecedented 27-point comeback.

For the Chargers, the situation presents a brutal reality - part ways with elite talent due to salary cap constraints or risk hampering their ability to supplement the roster around franchise quarterback Justin Herbert.

As the league’s new year dawns, all eyes will be on Los Angeles to see how they resolve one of the most fascinating personnel conundrums of the offseason. Whatever path they choose, the Chargers’ decision will have lasting reverberations across the NFL landscape.