Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack has made his demand for a huge contract fairly known to the team after electing to sit out the this offseason’s voluntary workouts. Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie has already given his two cents about it, and if he is to be believed, then he should be looking at all options to prevent Mack from wearing any uniform other than Raiders colors for the rest of the pass rusher’s NFL career.
“This is going to be a big contract and all sides are trying to make everything work,” McKenzie told NFL.com on Wednesday. “It's about the end result. One thing I know is that we love Khalil Mack and we want to make him a Raider for life. We'll get through all the other stuff. We understand the business part of it. Everybody is aware of everything and nobody is surprised. Everything, on all sides has been positive. I can't stress that enough.”
It has earlier been reported that Khalil Mack is seeking a contract extension worth $65 million, a huge sum for a non-quarterback, but considering how well Mack has performed in his years in Oakland, it’s an amount he could easily justify. Since entering the NFL as a fifth-overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Mack has racked up a total of 40.5 sacks, including the 10.5 quarterback takedowns he had in 2017, nearly a third of the Raiders’ 31.0 sacks that season.
Reggie McKenzie is also aware that Mack might not show up until a new deal is hammered down.
McKenzie declined to project when an extension could be finalized but that the Raiders are fully aware that they might not see Mack until a deal is done. McKenzie also would not discuss any details of a potential contract
In any case, a negotiation seems to be in the works. It just remains to be seen whether it's something that would satisfy Mack's financial cravings.