0-2 start and mounting playoff pressure in Los Angeles are already taking a backseat to a much harsher reality. Sitting at the bottom of the division, the Chargers’ front office may no longer have the luxury of brushing off trade calls for foundational names like Khalil Mack.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox floated the Chicago Bears as one of the best landing spots for Mack, and the possibility alone sent the entire rumor mill into overdrive.
Edge-rusher Khalil Mack will be a logical trade chip if the Chargers slide out of contention,” Knox wrote. “He’s 35, is playing on a one-year deal, and is still valuable as a rotational pass-rusher.”
What made the Mack-to-Bears trade so buzz-worthy is his obvious reunion with the franchise he spent some of his beat years with.
Khalil Mack to Bears Reunion Narrative Puts Chargers Under Pressure
Mack was in Chicago from 2018 to 2021, where he earned Pro Bowl selections in three of those four years. He had at least six sacks in each of his seasons in the Windy City. The reason he came to Los Angeles was the then-HC Brandon Staley.
He was Mack’s outside linebackers coach during his first year with the Bears in 2018. It was the direct connection that prompted the Mack-to-Chargers move. Now, they’re eyeing a reverse-uno trade.
Trading for Mack would strictly be a rental option for Ben Johnson rather than a long-term fix for Chicago’s pass rush. With the Bears giving up 362 yards per game and struggling to consistently collapse the pocket outside of Montez Sweat, their front seven desperately needs another disruptive edge.
Johnson has made it clear that the franchise wants to win right now while Caleb Williams is still playing on his rookie contract, and dropping a proven veteran like Mack into the rotation is the fastest way to get opposing quarterbacks off rhythm and keep their young franchise starter upright.
Chargers Need to Win to Avoid Trades
As for the Chargers, they might not be ready to send Mack off yet, but another ugly week or two will take the decision out of their hands and turn it into a forced exit.
“Mack has recorded a sack, two tackles for loss, and quarterback pressures this season,” Knox writes, highlighting a slow burn from the 9-time Pro Bowl edge rusher. But pointing the finger solely at Mack ignores the bigger structural collapse happening across the entire Chargers roster.
But that’s a problem the Chargers have a chance of countering in Week 3 vs. the Buffalo Bills.
“The Chargers sit at 0-2 after dropping games to the Arizona Cardinals and Raiders. With a brutal schedule upcoming, it’s hard to envision Los Angeles turning things around quickly,” Knox adds. “L.A.’s next seven games are against teams that made the 2025 postseason.”
If the Chargers go down a five- or six-loss spiral, they will listen to offers. The Bears are in the perfect position to pounce on this opportunity, since they have the draft capital to make the trade work without giving up a future asset.
After signing a one-year, $18 million fully guaranteed contract to stay in Los Angeles this past March, Mack is already playing on an expiring deal. For any interested buyer, that makes him the ultimate financial rental—no multi-year cap complications, just a high-impact veteran on a clean, expiring ledger.
Chargers Under Pressure to Consider Bears for Khalil Mack Reunion Trade