Why Chargers didn’t trade No. 5 pick, with Jim Harbaugh-Vikings twist

The Los Angeles Chargers have endured a great deal of change throughout the offseason. The Chargers parted ways with veteran receivers, hired a new head coach, and made several roster moves to try and keep their salary cap under control. One popular prediction ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft was the idea that the Chargers would trade down from fifth overall and receive picks that would assist in their rebuild.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there was certainly some truth to this idea. The Chargers were reportedly open for business with the fifth overall pick. So why couldn’t a deal get done?

It became clear in the week of the 2024 NFL Draft that Drake Maye at third overall would be the the place that most trade activity would occur. By that point, it was clear that many quarterback-needy teams were not interested in paying a premium to move up into picks four through six to draft JJ McCarthy. There was a time when several teams wondered if McCarthy would end up in the top five, but by draft week nobody around the league believed that would happen.

The idea that McCarthy would slide was believed by many team executives, even ones without skin in the game.

“I think the phone won’t be ringing as much as those teams [like the Chargers] hoped,” said a high-ranking NFC official before Thursday night.

Minnesota ended up selecting McCarthy at 10th overall and it has been widely reported that they were making calls throughout the top 10 picks leading up to the draft. The Vikings and Chargers definitely talked. However, one league executive posited that Harbaugh may have been awfully stubborn on any potential trade terms with Minnesota. The Vikings passed on Jim Harbaugh as a head coach option two offseasons ago.

Previewing the 2024 Los Angeles Chargers