Bears named top Khalil Mack trade fit at bargain 5th-round price
A winless start in Los Angeles could send Khalil Mack back to the city where he became a fan favorite.
Several people around the league believe a deal sending the 35-year-old edge rusher from the Los Angeles Chargers to the Chicago Bears would be best for both clubs, according to The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones.
Jones cautioned that it’s early to link players with particular destinations, but he singled out this pairing.
“But Khalil Mack to Chicago is something multiple league sources told me makes the most sense if both teams continue on their respective trajectories,” Jones wrote.
One general manager and one assistant GM, working for different teams, pegged Mack’s worth at a fifth-round selection. The Chargers, for their part, haven’t signaled interest in moving anyone.
At 0-4, the Chargers are chasing the 1992 San Diego Chargers, the only team to open that way and still reach the postseason.
Los Angeles already paid Mack $10 million upfront, leaving an acquiring team on the hook for under $4 million over the remaining schedule.
Jason La Canfora heard a blunter read from a separate NFL executive: “I think he’s gone.”
Mack, who has three sacks in four games, has said retirement has crossed his mind before. A Super Bowl ring is the one thing his resume lacks, and this could be his final season.
The Bears got him from the Raiders in 2018 and kept him through four seasons, then dealt him to Los Angeles while rebuilding and collecting picks. Mack had wanted to stay and called the trade “bittersweet.”
Last month, on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, Mack said, “Looking back on it, you realize how important those moments are,” later calling that stretch “a special time.”
Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker, and Montez Sweat account for seven of Chicago’s 10 sacks through four games.
Odeyingbo has spent a good share of his snaps lining up inside, though, which leaves the edge rotation thinner than the sack totals suggest.
Trades must be finished by Nov. 10, giving the Bears a month to decide whether a fifth-rounder is fair for a 35-year-old who already knows the building.
