Despite a 0–5 start to the 2026 season, the Chargers have no plans to move on from quarterback Justin Herbert.
After the team’s latest loss to the Broncos, speculation began to swirl about whether the organization would consider a total teardown and rebuild. However, top NFL insiders have firmly shut down the notion, saying the Chargers' front office would never consider trading Herbert.
The rumor began after an anonymous high-level NFL executive suggested a desperate team might offer up to three first-round draft picks to move Herbert away from Los Angeles.
ESPN's Adam Schefter quickly put the speculation to rest. On his podcast, Schefter said he reached out directly to a high-ranking Chargers source to verify the rumor. The team official completely
dismissed the idea.
"Let me be very clear about this," the Chargers source told Schefter. "We have never even discussed that idea. The sentence 'Should we trade Justin Herbert?' has never once been uttered in our organization, nor will it be."
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero doubled down on the report a few weeks ago, saying the Chargers "have no plans anytime soon" to trade their star signal-caller. While teams may do their due diligence, Pelissero noted that Los Angeles considers the quarterback position off-limits.
Beyond the organization's public and private loyalty to Herbert, trading the 28-year-old quarterback is virtually impossible from a contractual standpoint.
Herbert is locked into a massive contract extension through the 2029 season. Two major factors prevent any realistic trade scenario: His contract includes a full no-trade clause, giving him total veto power over any potential destination, and trading a player with Herbert’s contract structure would force the Chargers to absorb a multi-million-dollar dead cap hit, hindering their ability to build a roster for the foreseeable future.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Could Chargers consider trading Justin Herbert? NFL insiders weigh in
