Tuli Tuipulotu is the name rival teams keep circling as the Los Angeles Chargers sit at 0-5. Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday that the Chargers are drawing the most intrigue from other clubs of the three winless teams, because Miami and Tennessee are already seen as rebuilding. Fowler listed Tuipulotu, Khalil Mack and Derwin James Jr. as possible trade candidates before the November 10 deadline.
The difference with Tuipulotu is his contract. The 24-year-old edge rusher is in the final year of his rookie deal, set to earn less than $6 million this season, and the two sides did not reach an extension over the summer.
A captain playing for his next deal
Tuipulotu has not let the losing slow him down. Through the first four games he had 18 tackles, two sacks, eight quarterback hits and an interception. His best day came in the Week 4 loss to Seattle, when he made six tackles, shared a sack, forced a fumble and picked off Sam Darnold on the Seahawks’ first offensive snap for the first interception of his career.
He kept making plays in Week 5. Against Denver, Akheem Mesidor wrapped up a scrambling Bo Nix and Tuipulotu ripped the ball out, recovering it at the Broncos’ 42. Kimani Vidal scored on the very next snap. Broncos-Chargers recap.
He and Mack are team captains, and both pushed teammates to keep fighting after the fourth-and-1 decision that sent Los Angeles to 0-5. Harbaugh on the fourth-down call.
Why he is different from Mack
Mack, 35 and on his second one-year, $18 million deal with the Chargers, is the classic deadline rental. Tuipulotu is not. He is coming off a Pro Bowl season with a career-high 13 sacks and 20 tackles for loss, and he landed at No. 86 on the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2026. A price north of $30 million per year was floated for his next contract this offseason.
That changes the math for any buyer. A team trading for him would want to sign him to a long-term deal right away, which lowers what it is willing to give up in picks. The Chargers also have the option of keeping him and using the franchise tag next March if the two sides still have no deal.
Jordan Dajani named Dallas, Seattle and Philadelphia as logical fits earlier this month, all clubs looking for more pass rush. The Cowboys were tied for the second-fewest sacks in the league entering Week 5.
The Chargers’ position
Los Angeles has made one thing clear: Justin Herbert is not available. Herbert trade talk shut down. There has been no similar public statement about the edge group, and the Chargers have already spent a 2026 first-round pick on Mesidor, who has shown early pass-rush production as a rookie.
A former second-round pick from USC, taken 54th overall in 2023, Tuipulotu is exactly the kind of young core player a rebuilding team usually keeps. His camp’s contract talks will decide whether he stays. If those talks have stalled, getting draft picks for him now beats risking a tag fight later.
What comes next
The Chargers visit the 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, October 18, at 4:25 p.m. EDT, then have their Week 7 bye. A sixth straight loss heading into the bye would make the calls about Tuipulotu louder before the deadline closes on November 10.
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