The Los Angeles Chargers are going nowhere in 2026, while the Indianapolis Colts are still hoping to get to the postseason. LA needs help building for the future. Indy needs help now. This is why Indianapolis offering a trade package for edge rusher Khalil Mack of the Chargers makes sense. It's a win-win for both teams.
Mack is on a one-year deal as he is 35 years old, and no team is going to offer him a longer-term contract. Even at his advanced age for an NFL player, though, Mack is still very good at his job. Through four games, all losses for Los Angeles, he has three sacks, five quarterback hits, and five tackles for loss.
The Colts could use that kind of production, especially now that Arden Key will miss 3-4 games with a hamstring injury. The already thin edge rush group for Indianapolis is thinner moving forward over the next month. Mack wouldn't only get the unit back to where it was before Key's injury; he would make it far better.
The Indianapolis Colts should make an offer to the Chargers for edge rusher Khalil Mack
There are a couple of hitches in the idea of making a move for Mack, however. One is that he has a no-trade clause. He would have to approve any potential deal, and he might not want to come to the Midwest from the Pacific coast to play.
The other is that the Chargers wouldn't save any money financially in the move, though that might not be such a big deal. The edge rusher is a free agent next offseason and is off the books for Los Angeles unless they re-sign him. LA could re-sign him even if they trade him for the rest of this season, though.
According to Spotrac, any team acquiring Khalil Mack would need to pay him $6.22 million for the rest of the season if the trade happens before Week 5. The Indianapolis Colts definitely have that kind of money.
Los Angeles would have to eat $11.78 million in dead cap, but again, Mack is off the books after this season, so the dead cap doesn't really matter. It isn't as if the Chargers are going to go chasing a highly paid player from another team to try to make 2026 better.
Los Angeles might like to get some draft value back for Mack. He isn't going toi bring back a first- or second-round selection, but a third-rounder might be enough to try to pry Mack from the clutches of the Chargers. (Again, he'd have to approve any deal.)
Would he be a boon to an Indianapolis Colts defense that has looked a lot better in the last two weeks, but possibly because they played the Houston Texans without Nico Collins and the Washington Commanders with a third-string quarterback for most of the game? Of course.
Imagine defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo with the closest approximation to Trey Hendrickson (Anarumo was the Cincinnati Bengals' DC when Hendrickson was there, having his best seasons) that he has had with the Colts. Indy's defense might be a real threat to get the team to the playoffs. All it might take to get there is a third-round selection for Khalil Mack.
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