Jon Gruden and the Oakland Raiders ended the Khalil Mack saga by trading him to the Chicago Bears over the holiday weekend. The move drew a lot of criticism across the league, and it was initially met by shock by several Raiders players.
Per a team press release, Gruden had this to say when asked if he consulted Raiders players about trading the superstar pass rusher:
“No, I had talked to our players. I did tell our players after we made the trade. My door is always open, if they want to come up and talk about why we did what we did… We did what we felt was in the best interest of the Raiders and putting this team back together and getting it ready for the future. No decisions are ever easy – that was a tough one. We didn't want to lose him, but we had our reasons and here we are today.”
It's not a huge surprise that Raiders players weren't consulted on the move before it happened, though a bit more of a heads-up about the situation may have been nice to help build trust. Gruden and Co. likely knew where they stood on the matter given Mack's talent level and popularity. The trade could very easily backfire on the Raiders, but the front office simply made the move they thought would be best for the future.
Mack and the Raiders were engaged in a long contract standoff as the two-time All-Pro wanted to become the highest-paid defensive player in the league. Oakland wasn't willing to meet his demands and ultimately looked to the future by acquiring a pair of first-round picks (2019, 2020), a 2020 third-round pick and a 2019 sixth-round pick, though a 2020 second-round pick and conditional 2020 fifth-round pick went back to Chicago.
Mack got his wish and signed a massive extension with the Bears that indeed has him as the new highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.
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