NFL trade rumors: 5 receivers the Rams should target in a deal, including Cowboys' George Pickens

News Analysis: Amid the Chargers' chaos, one thing is certain: Justin Herbert won't be traded

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert reacts during a loss to the Denver Broncos at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 11. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times) This is not the perfect spiral the Chargers were expecting. It's a downward one. Week after week, loss after loss. They are 0-6 for the first time since 2000, back when Jim Harbaugh was one of their quarterbacks, not their head coach. So even though they're rested after a week off, they're also on edge heading into Sunday's game against the Rams. On the outside, speculation has been swirling for weeks about what the sinking franchise can do — not so much to stop its current slide, as the season is already shot, but moving forward beyond this year. So far, the switch to Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator has been disastrous, and there's even conjecture the team could look to trade quarterback Justin Herbert, who has gone eight consecutive games with at least as many interceptions as touchdowns in each. The franchise is built around Herbert, mind you, and Harbaugh has predicted he'll one day be regarded as the best quarterback in NFL history. So the notion of trading him is beyond blasphemous. That's not to say clubs don't make dramatic and surprising moves. With the trade deadline a week from Tuesday, the 2-5 Indianapolis Colts are already starting to disassemble their roster. Last week, they traded eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle, and dealt star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner back to San Francisco, the team that drafted him.