One Chargers Player Who Could Surprisingly Be Traded Before the Deadline

The 0-6 Los Angeles Chargers are on their bye week and they are trying to find answers for their offense and get healthy after injuries have ravaged their roster. Trade rumors are a hot topic for the Chargers given their record and current roster and there are a few players more likely than others to be moved before the deadline.

The Chargers have not historically been active during the season with trades. 2025's midseason trade for Odafe Oweh was new for the franchise and also signaled a change under the direction of general manager Joe Hortiz.

The reality is, the Chargers have not been is this particular position before. Los Angeles entered the season with high expectations to be a playoff team and potential championship contenders, their roster was built and assembled with that expectation.

Since the expansion of the playoff format and the expansion to a 17-game season, trades have become more frequent than in years past but are still relatively rare. The most common positions to be moved are wide receivers and defensive linemen or edge rushers. One of the position groups in the next level of frequency is defensive backs.

The Chargers are relatively thin at cornerback but cornerbacks are always in demand. The Chargers have a decision to make next year as well with cornerbacks Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart both entering the final year of their rookie contracts. Could one of them be moved at the trade deadline for the right price?

Cam Hart trade?

Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still are the Chargers' two third-year cornerbacks who have been playing significant snaps, if not starting, from early on their rookie season despite both being fifth-round draft picks. Hart is more of the prototypical bigger outside boundary cornerback and Still is more versatile in alignments.

Hart has been banged up throughout his first few NFL seasons but has been a mainstay in the starting lineup in 2026. Hart has two interceptions on the year including an amazing catch in the endzone off of Patrick Mahomes in week six.

Hart could be a surprise trade target around the NFL for the specific reason. According to PFF, when the data is filtered to a minimum of 50 percent of the the defensive snaps, indicating a consistent starter, Hart is ranked ninth in the NFL in man coverage by grade.

If the Chargers get a solid offer for Hart, a former fifth-round pick with only one year left on his deal, it could be a shocking move that a contender in need of a capable man corner down the stretch of the season might make. Having two cornerbacks, whose contracts are jumping in average annual value, up for extensions next season may give the Chargers front office an added reason to at least pick up the phone when teams call about a potential trade for Hart.

Moving Hart would likely thrust Kaiir Elam onto the 53-man roster from the practice squad if the defensive coaching staff believes he is ready. It would not be easy to replace a player like Hart in the defense, but at 0-6, these are uncharted waters for the franchise.