For the second time in his career, star pass rusher Khalil Mack is set to become a free agent this offseason, and he expressed his plans to retire as a champion after the playoff loss against the New England Patriots.
Also, before he re-signed with the Los Angeles Chargers last season, 670 The Score’s Chris Emma revealed that Mack expressed his interest in returning to Chicago.
He also didn’t explicitly mention wanting to re-sign with the Chargers this offseason, saying, “Not trying to make that decision right now like I’ve almost done before. Trying to stay as present as possible, stay pumped, make a decision based on how I’m feeling and how my family is feeling, the vibes. If the vibes are high, decisions will be made. Just figuring it out day by day.”
That said, CBS Sports is urging the Chicago Bears to “prioritize” signing Mack during free agency.
Bears Urged to Prioritize Signing Khalil Mack
Here’s what CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin said about why the Bears should bring back Mack.
“The Bears subsisted on defense this season thanks to forcing a ridiculous volume of turnovers, but they can’t count on that continuing every year. They need to do a better job of rushing the passer moving forward (they were 29th in pressure rate, via Tru Media) and Mack can help on a low-cost, short-term deal with the team that used to employ him.”
Not just that, but according to ESPN statistics, the Bears were tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for last in the NFL with a pass-rush win rate at just 29%. Mack will be 35 by the time next season rolls around, but for a low-cost, short-term deal, it could be an intriguing option.
Last season, he finished with 32 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles in 12 games with the Chargers.
Projected Contract and Salary Cap Situation
According to OvertheCap.com, as of February 5th, the Bears have negative $5.3 million in cap space. Chicago isn’t bound to that number, as the team can easily create more cap room by restructuring contracts and cutting players.
To make things clear, if Mack still wants to be paid over double digits in annual salary, the Bears most likely won’t be interested in a reunion. However, if he’s willing to take a pay cut to return to the place where he enjoyed racking up 121 solo tackles and 36 sacks in 53 games, then general manager Ryan Poles should work out a deal.
For reference, Von Miller signed a one-year, $6.1 million deal with the Washington Commanders when he was 35. Mack could also signed a one-year deal worth $6 million to return to Chicago.
When Poles traded Mack in 2022, there was never any bad blood between the two sides. The Bears were heading into a rebuild, and it was best to let Mack go elsewhere.
“I would say one of the harder things to do was the Khalil Mack trade,” Poles said. “A guy that caliber of a player is not easy to move on from, but it’s one of those situations that you knew you had to do what is best for the club.”
Now, four years later, he could bring back one of Chicago’s most beloved players.
Bears Urged to Prioritize ‘Low-Cost, Short-Term Deal’ With Khalil Mack