The Los Angeles Chargers are shopping cornerback Desmond King ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, and multiple teams have reportedly expressed interest.
King, 25, is in the final year of his rookie deal. At 2-5, the Chargers have little hopes to compete for an AFC playoff spot and are clearly looking to acquire an asset in exchange for a player who they may not re-sign. Los Angeles presumably thinks the draft pick it can obtain via trade will be superior to whatever compensatory pick it would get if King signed elsewhere in the upcoming offseason.
The defensive back is due $1.1 million for the rest of the 2020 season, so he’s affordable under the cap for a contender looking to boost their defense and special teams for the home stretch. King received votes for the All-Pro team as a defensive back and punt returner in 2018, though he hasn't replicated that form in the time since.
King has only started three games at corner in 2020 and hasn't recorded an interception nor a pass defense. He has returned six punts on the season for 17 total yards. In 2018, he averaged 13.8 yards per punt return. The 2017 fifth-round pick has taken two punts back to the house in his four-year career.
King was held out of the Chargers' inexplicable 31-30 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, though the reasons were not due to an injury. Considering his presence on the trade market, it's possible the team was keeping him off the field to prevent anything from negatively impacting his value before the deadline.
Follow Us
Subscribe