If the Bears were waiting for a sign to pull the trigger on Khalil Mack, this is it. The Chargers spent weeks shutting down trade calls, but their Monday update officially cracked the door open right before the deadline. Chicago has been hunting for edge-rush help for weeks, and L.A. just handed them the ultimate excuse to pick up the phone.
In his press conference Monday, head coach Jim Harbaugh opened up on their trade stance, which was the complete opposite of what they stated in their previous press conferences.
Chargers Give Bears Green Light to Make a Call for Khalil Mack
When asked about the trade deadline and general manager Joe Hortiz’s stance on it, the Chargers HC Harbaugh said, “He is pursuing and active,” per Alex Insdorf.
“If something makes sense that will make our team better, now or in the future, Joe Hortiz is going to be open and active in pursuing that,” he added when pressed about exchanging veteran players for future draft picks.
The complete pivot hits even harder considering how aggressively Los Angeles slammed the door on callers early on. Just two days ago, national reports made it sound like the Chargers wouldn’t even answer the phone, with Jim Harbaugh going out of his way to insist both the franchise and the veteran pass rusher were completely locked in on staying together.
But sticking to that script after going 0-8 quickly became impossible to justify. Moving off that stubborn stance in the 11th hour proves reality finally caught up to the Chargers’ front office, leaving the door wide open for the Bears to pounce.
For the Bears, the timing couldn’t be better. The Bears are in position to make a postseason run, but their defense still needs another proven pass rusher. Mack already knows the city, the fans love him, and the Chargers might finally be willing to negotiate.
Bears Have Perfect Chance to Trade for Mack
The Bears are just coming off a massive Jeffery Simmons trade, for which they lavishly spent multiple-first round picks.
The Bears aren’t afraid to splash the cash, and Hortiz knows it. Since their defense still needs edge speed, the Chargers GM will absolutely use the Bears’ aggressive spending spree to demand a higher price for Mack.
That said, Poles also has the financial motivation. The numbers make a deal almost too easy to execute.
Mack is playing on a 1-year, $18 million contract that expires at the end of the season. He will hit free agency after this season anyway. For a 0-8 Chargers team, letting a $18 million expiring asset walk for nothing in free agency is cap suicide.
Chicago has more than enough room to absorb what’s left of his base salary as a half-season rental, meaning L.A. can offload the cash, cash in on draft picks, and let the Bears handle the rest.
That said, weeks of door-slamming from L.A. forced Poles to cast a wider net. The Bears have been quietly doing their homework on other high-impact targets across the league, and Poles isn’t afraid to pull the trigger elsewhere if trade talks for Mack drag out until 3:59 p.m.
Outside of Mack, trade rumors have tied the Bears to Eagles corner Riq Woolen as a potential secondary fix. Philadelphia has shifted into seller mode, and adding a 6-foot-4 corner with prime athletic traits gives Chicago another aggressive cover man to shore up their pass defense alongside their newly acquired front seven.
Bears Get Green Light From Chargers for Last-Minute Khalil Mack Trade Call