NFL insiders like Adam Schefter and Jay Glazer confirm the Chicago Bears are aggressively hunting a trade deadline splash, and old friend Khalil Mack tops their target list.
The Chargers are winless after 8 weeks, Mack is on a one-year rental, and LA could get some serious draft capital if they send Mack. Yet, GM Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh remain stubborn on trading Mack.
The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones confirmed that “The Chargers have confounded teams by not engaging in trade talks. The Bolts are 0-6 but are telling teams Khalil Mack isn’t available.”
The 9x Pro Bowler finally decided to break the silence on being the hottest pass-rusher on the trade block, and admitted where his preferences lie.
Khalil Mack Breaks Silence on Bears Trade Rumors
“You’ve got to be where your feet are man, ultimately,” Mack said after the Bolts’ seven-straight loss this season, via Eric Williams of Fox Sports. “That can be the most difficult thing when you’re dealing with a lot of outside noise and stuff. Just trying to be where your feet are at all times. That’s kind of been my thing in years past.”
Chicago even openly admitted reaching out to the Los Angeles front office. And they’re probably not the only ones who have reached out.
49ers GM John Lynch admitted TE George Kittle lobbied him to bring Mack last month.
“I can’t tell you that. I had a lot of people asking me that yesterday,” Lynch said on The Murph and Markus Show when asked if he had made any calls about Mack, via Bleacher Report. “We seem to be connected to everyone. I don’t know where that comes from… I had a player ask me that yesterday.”
When asked to specify which player, Lynch said, “It’s usually Kittle, because he asks about everything.”
Chargers Might be Forced to Consider Khalil Mack Trade
On Sunday against the Rams, Mack played a season-low 35 defensive snaps. He wasn’t fully kept on the bench to really start trade speculation, but that limited usage certainly raises eyebrows. And the play of rookie Akeem Mesidor opposite Tuli Tuipulotu gives the Chargers two young pass rushers to build around. Mack is completely expendable if the Chargers want.
At 35 and playing on an expiring ticket, Mack owes nothing to a winless rebuild in L.A. If the Chargers keep acting stubborn and refuse to cash in on their top rental asset before the deadline, they are just sabotaging their own future.
The Chargers can dig in all they want, but reality hits fast when you’re sitting on zero wins near the deadline. Keeping Mack past the deadline yields the Chargers nothing but a symbolic veteran presence on a sinking ship, while handing him back to Chicago, or any legit playoff contender, gives Mack the final run he deserves and L.A. the draft capital they desperately need.
Chargers’ Khalil Mack Breaks Silence on Trade Amid Bears Reunion Rumors