Khalil Mack ended up getting traded to the Chicago Bears shortly before the start of the 2018 regular season, but before he was dealt to the Bears, he was almost acquired by another NFC North team.
Apparently, the Green Bay Packers also went after Mack, but the Bears offered the Oakland Raiders a better deal for the star pass rusher:
“Well, the whole Khalil Mack thing. It’s not that we didn’t try,” Packers president Mark Murphy told 105.7. “We were aggressive. We wanted to sign him. I think, ironically, the Raiders took the Bears offer because they thought they would be a better draft pick.”
But in hindsight, it may have been a good thing that the Packers didn't acquire Mack in terms of the financial aspect, as they would have had the highest-paid quarterback (Aaron Rodgers) and top-paid defensive player in the NFL:
“I don’t know if it is good to have the highest-paid offensive player in the league and the highest-paid defensive player in the league,” asked Murphy. “Is that a good way to build a team?”
Still, it has to sting that Mack ended up going to the Packers biggest rivals and elevating them in the process, racking up 47 tackles, 12.5 sacks, an interception, six forced fumbles, a couple of fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and a First-Team All-Pro selection. He also helped the Bears win the NFC North division title.
The 28-year-old entered the league with the Raiders in 2014 and has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last four years.
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