Getty Chicago Bears pass-rusher Khalil Mack.
At this moment, Chicago Bears fans may love Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden just slightly more than their own new head coach Matt Nagy. For what it’s worth, Nagy will hold the hearts of the fanbase for the foreseeable future. But right now, Bears fans are still grateful for the gift that keeps on giving – pass-rusher Khalil Mack.
After Chicago struck a deal to bring the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year to town from Oakland, Mack has hit the ground running. Through two games, the 27-year-old has totaled eight tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, and one touchdown.
While the Bears did give up two first-round picks and additional selections, their fans (rightfully) just care about winning and on-field production. So one fan decided to go a unique route in order to thank Gruden for playing whatever role he did in the Mack trade.
As the CEO of the Ball Don’t Lie podcast revealed, it was a custom No. 52 Bears jersey … with Gruden’s name on it.
Raiders fans are really going to hate this, especially since their team currently sits at 0-2 on the season. Fortunately, Oakland’s future outlook is strong with the plethora of picks they added and the fact that they still have quite a few talented young pieces. The team also didn’t look bad in their Week 2 loss to the Denver Broncos.
One thing which likely does bother Raiders fans is that Gruden continues to talk about how ineffective his team’s pass-rush has been. At this point, the Raiders as a whole have the same number of sacks as Mack in 2018.
As for the Bears, they could easily be 2-0 if not for the epic Aaron Rodgers-led comeback in Week 1. That loss will likely sting all season, but Chicago has a very bright future with young pieces, and Mack is a huge part of that.
READ NEXT: Raiders’ Jon Gruden Calls out Khalil Mack After Trade