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Los Angeles Chargers pass-rusher Khalil Mack has been playing in the NFL for 11 years now, and he remains one of the most feared pass rushers in the league.
Mack has been in the league since 2014, when he was drafted with the No. 5 overall pick by the then-Oakland Raiders. During his time in Oakland, he quickly became one of the most ferocious pass rushers in the league thanks to his combination of speed, agility, explosiveness, and pure athleticism at 6-foot-3, 269 pounds.
Mack's quick rise from draft pick to superstar was even more impressive considering the fact that he wasn't exactly a big-time college player, at least in terms of where he went. Mack was a 2-star linebacker in the 2009 recruiting class and ended up signing with the Buffalo Bulls, which has been part of the MAC since 1999. He notched an incredible 76 tackles for loss, 28.5 sacks, and 16 forced fumbles during his four seasons with the Bulls, which got him on the radar of NFL scouts in a big way.
Still, he exploded almost immediately with the Raiders, as he was an All-Pro and Pro Bowler by his second season when he notched 15 sacks. He was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 thanks to his 11 sacks, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and an interception returned for a touchdown, and he remained a Pro Bowler even when head coach Jon Gruden and the Raiders (foolishly) traded him to the Chicago Bears.
He notched “just” six sacks in 2021 for the Bears, which is why Chicago likely felt comfortable trading him to the Chargers in 2022. He then promptly put together three Pro Bowl seasons in a row, which included 17 sacks in 2023 and six sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and 15 quarterback hits in his age 33 season.
Mack, a nine-time Pro Bowler, had to take some time to mull his NFL future after the Chargers lost in the playoffs to the Houston Texans, but it was reported that he wants to play in 2025, and now he's set to be an unrestricted free agent.
Where will he end up for the potential final season or two of his legendary career? Here are three landing spots, but let's start with the most obvious one.
Los Angeles Chargers
Khalil Mack has been a big part of the Chargers' defense over the past three seasons, and he's exactly the type of player that head coach Jim Harbaugh covets. He's the sort of pass-rusher the Chargers would be looking for if they let him walk, so re-signing him would be the best option. It's arguably the best option for Mack as well, because he wouldn't have to re-up and move around his life as he heads into his 12th NFL season and 34th year on this rock.
In fact, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is reporting that the Chargers are going to try to re-sign Mack for all the reasons listed above.
“The sense is Los Angeles will make efforts to re-sign Mack, who will play in 2025 after he said he needed to take time to mull his future following the season,” Fowler said. “The Chargers believe he embodies the spirit of the team's toughness. But many teams will be lurking for potential pass-rush help, including — but not limited to — Atlanta and Carolina.”
Green Bay Packers
Khalil Mack could stay with the Chargers and try to help them be a contender in the AFC, where everything is going to run through Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. Another option for him would be to head back to a place where he's comfortable, the NFC North, and try to fill in as the missing piece on defense for the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers are a young team with a ton of talent who have made the playoffs two straight years following the trade of Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets. Matt LaFleur is one of the better head coaches in the league and the Packers are, of course, one of the best cases of organizational stability and consistent success in sports.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley turned Green Bay's defense into a Top 15 unit last season, but the Packers were desperately missing a consistent pass rush. Mack could come in across from Rashan Gary, who is a great player but not a star, and the two of them could help each other have career years in 2025.
The Packers have roughly $40 million in cap space. Spotrac says Mack's market value would be at $23.6 million over three years.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are much like the Packers in that they'd give Khalil Mack the opportunity to come back to the familiar stomping grounds of the NFC North. The difference is, the Lions have an opportunity to pair Mack with edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who was on his way to having a Defensive Player of the Year like season with 7.5 sacks in five games before a broken fibula and tibia in his left leg stole the rest of his season.
The Lions are a candidate to take a step back after losing both their offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching positions, but bringing in a player like Mack would go a long way towards making sure the defense doesn't regress in 2025. The Lions have roughly $46 million in cap space entering this offseason.