Would Chargers Actually Entertain Offers for Tuli Tuipulotu?

He has made steady improvement each year since he entered the National Football League as a second-round draft choice in 2023. Los Angeles Chargers outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu is off to a solid start this season despite the team’s 0-5 record.

The 6’3”, 266-pound defender is tied for third on the team with 22 tackles, to go along with a pair of sacks and a team-high eight quarterback hits. He’s totaled one interception, come up with two forced fumbles, been credited with three passes defensed and recovered a fumble.

Chargers’ edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu is one of the team’s young stars

Go back to Tuipulotu’s rookie campaign in ’23. He played in 11 games but made zero starts. There were 53 stops, 4.5 sacks, a dozen QB hits and two forced fumbles. A year later, he appeared in all 17 contests and made nine starts. There were 38 tackles, a team-high 8.5 sacks, and another forced fumble. He also added four special teams stops. Tuipulotu also appeared in the team’s playoff loss at Houston.

The third season proved to be the charm for the former Trojan. He finished ninth on Jim Harbaugh’s squad with 45 tackles and led the Bolts with career-bests in sacks (13.0) and quarterback hits (23). Add two more forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and four more stops on special teams. Tuipulotu, who was named to his first Pro Bowl, came up with two more tackles and one sack in the Bolts’ wild card loss at New England.

There’s little doubt that the four-year pro is a player on the rise. But the question here is whether the Chargers are a team headed in the right direction? Last Wednesday, Tuipulotu was one of 15 players that Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus speculated could be the subject of trade talks. The Chargers’ defender (PFF's 14th-ranked edge rusher) is in the final year of his rookie contract, and the organization has not yet extended him.

Would the Chargers trade Tuli Tuipulotu for the right price?

The team appears very loaded at edge rusher with ageless Khalil Mack (who leads the team with 3.0 sacks), and 2026 first-round pick Akheem Mesidor. The latter is tied with Tuipulotu in terms of total tackles (22), is second on the club with 2.5 sacks, and has one forced fumble.

Of course, Mack could also be a player a contender may be interested in, but considering he’s in the midst of his 13th season, he likely would not net a bigtime haul in terms of a deal.

The Chargers head to Arrowhead Stadium this week to face the 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs. A season ago, the Bolts swept the series for the first tine since 2013. This time around, Harbaugh’s club is one of three teams in the league still looking for its first victory in 2026.

Could general manager Joe Hortiz and the franchise already be looking to the future after the team’s disappointing start? Tuipulotu could certainly net a respectable haul. And for those believing he is an emerging star that the Bolts wouldn’t part ways with, nothing is ever off the table when it comes to today’s NFL.