Getty Oakland Raiders former pass-rusher Khalil Mack celebrates.
All it took was three words for Oakland Raiders star Khalil Mack to send the fanbase into a frenzy. Ahead of the team’s fourth and final preseason game, a matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen posted a video of Mack from last season.
And one of the first to respond was none other than the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Mack’s comment was simple – “I miss it.”
@FB_FilmAnalysis I miss it
The situation between Mack and the Raiders has gotten ugly. It’s involved trade rumors, rumblings that the two sides are hardly talking (or not communicating at all) and various reports on how this whole thing could realistically play out.
As things stand, it seems Mack will not rejoin his team prior to Week 1, and he hasn’t even met the Raiders’ new coaching staff yet. That’s obviously not good news considering Oakland not only hired Jon Gruden as their head coach but also brought in defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. In turn, this means Mack will have to learn an entirely new defense if and when he reports.
Even if Mack were to return ahead of the first game, getting him in tune with Guenther and his defense, as well as working with new teammates, won’t be a simple task.