After four seasons in Chicago, Khalil Mack is headed back to California. The Bears and Chargers are nearing a trade for the All-Pro edge defender, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The sides have nearly completed this deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Chargers are set to send the Bears second- and sixth-round picks, Rapoport tweets, for the eight-year veteran. The Bears will receive the Chargers’ 2022 second-round pick and their 2023 sixth. This will reunite Mack and Brandon Staley, who coached the Bears’ outside linebackers from 2017-18.
No contract adjustment is coming, per Rapoport, who adds the Chargers will take on the remaining three years and $63.9MM on Mack’s pact (Twitter link). That contract will be more manageable for the Chargers, with no guarantees remaining on the deal.
Mack is coming off an abbreviated season, but the former Raiders top-five pick and NFL Defensive Player of the Year is still regarded as one of the best pass rushers in the game. Mack is set to team with Joey Bosa in Los Angeles. The Chargers rank in the top five in the NFL for cap space, giving them an easier path to absorbing Mack’s contract compared to most teams.
While this is a major move, it comes a year after the Raiders discussed reacquiring Mack from the Bears before the 2021 free agency period. Chicago passed but saw Mack go down with a foot injury midway through last season. Mack underwent surgery and missed nine games. Prior to last season, however, the three-time All-Pro had never missed more than two games in a season.
The 2016 Defensive Player of the Year, Mack went to Chicago in 2018 for a monster haul. Chicago sent Oakland a package headlined by two first-round picks. The Bears gave Mack a then-defender-record $23.5MM-per-year contract. Three seasons remain on that deal. Mack is set to earn $12.1MM in base salary next season. The Bolts, however, now boast the most expensive pass-rushing duo in NFL history. They signed Bosa to a $27MM-AAV extension last year. This move likely will send previous Bosa sidekick Uchenna Nwosu elsewhere; Nwosu is set to hit free agency next week. This is a luxury many teams could not afford, but the Bolts have Justin Herbert tied to a rookie deal until at least 2023.
Mack, 31, played a major role in lifting the Bears to the 2018 NFC North title. He collected his third All-Pro honor that year. The Buffalo alum will head to Los Angeles with four double-digit sack seasons and six Pro Bowls on his resume. This represents another move for one of the highest-profile divisions in recent memory. The Broncos sent the Seahawks two firsts for Russell Wilson this week, giving them a much better shot to contend in the AFC West. The Bolts now have a top-tier edge tandem to throw at Wilson, Patrick Mahomes and Derek Carr.
The Bears still have Robert Quinn, who broke Richard Dent‘s franchise single-season sack record last season, under contract for 2022. But losing Mack is certainly a significant development for the franchise, which recently hired a new coach and GM. This move will douse the Bears in dead money as well, saving them only $6MM in cap space. Chicago will incur a $24MM dead-money charge, part of that coming because the team restructured Mack’s deal in 2019 and in 2021.
Russell Wilson just requested to be traded out of the division.
Great division ..
Good move for both teams.
Going to miss Mack but with the conversion to a 4-3 he probably will be happier there anyway. Plus the cap savings. This team needs picks and cap room. Poles did a good job here anyway. Not sure if Quinn fits either but we’ll see I guess. Goldman can go also for cap room and picks.
Quinn played with his hand in the dirt when he started in St. Louis, so the concept won’t be completely foreign to him. Not to mention his stint with the Cowboys, of course. Of course, that was some time ago and he did just have his best season in ten or so years, so we’ll see. Quinn of course played well, but without another feared pass rusher opposite of him his production figures to decrease anyway.
My question for Chicago would be now what this deal means for Akiem Hicks-is he on the block as well, or do they retain him as a veteran foundation piece as they transition?
Hicks is a UFA. They won’t re sign him.
True, true. My mistake.
I bet you that Trevis Gipson is plenty “feared” by NFL teams.
Quinn obviously had a huge year last year but until last year he always has fit better in a 4-3 so yes Quinn fits
Bears couldn’t get any picks for this year? WTF?
They get the Chargers 2nd round pick this year, 6th next year.
The Article is in flux like the trade. lol
“The Bears will receive the Chargers’ 2022 second-round pick “
?
They got a 2nd round pick for this year
Chicago didn’t need him to keep finishing below .500 so it’s good they actually got something for him. Just a little surprised they couldn’t get a bit more.
Not with that price tag. Not a lot of teams could eat that cap hit.
For a player over 30? Who clearly hasn’t been the same player for at least 2 or 3 years. The fact that they got more than just the second is impressive
Hey Georgie, how much money and how much of the bears future did this mistake cost you????
Was Pace’s mistake. Poles desperately needs draft picks. They should get some compensatory picks when Robinson, Hicks and the host of UFA’s that don’t fit sign elsewhere. Now lets see what they do with them.
Lol..only duh Bears..
This makes me feel better about the Wentz trade as a Colts fan. Bears gave up two 1st’s for Mack and get back a 2nd and 6th. Ouch.
I mean, they also got three plus years of great production out of him, including two years when they managed to make the playoffs even though Trubisky was their QB. That’s a little different than one meh year of Wentz for your loss of draft capital.
Isn’t he four years older? Or is that not how time works.
2nd and 6th.. ugh.. Then again Mack was wasted with the Bears after Fangio left. Does not really matter how good a player can be if they are not in a system meant for them. Now the Bears ‘pay’ for Mack again by only getting a 2nd rd this season for a guy of that caliber. For everyone ready to put Mack in the old people home my guess is he gets at least 16 sacks next season.. That 6th rd should have been a conditional pick at least.
He was pretty damn good in 2020 without Fangio. I think he can excel in just about any scheme if he’s healthy. I do think it’s a little optimistic to predict he’ll have at least one more sack than he’s ever had in a season, but Mack and Bosa is a scary tandem.
4 years later.
Oh boy is the AFC West going to be fun.
pulling out my Charger bandwagon
One 2nd round pick, and one 6th round pick next year? WTH? Who in the hell trades for a 6th round pick? Typical Bears sh#t.
The cap savings is the key. He was due to make like 35 million this year. Bears will still have the signing and roster bonuses count against the cap, but still a substantial savings to sign new guys. With teams cutting good players right and left, cap space is vital.
It’s not saving very much money lol. They are still taking a 24 million caps hit
But they have a 148 million dollar cap pool to play with next year.
Re-read the last paragraph of the article, buddy. The Bears got nothing out of this trade. Nothing. But what else is new… worst run franchise in the NFL.
You’re not wrong. But Poles has a lot of erasing to do before he can move forward.
They save $6M this year but they save $17M next year and $20M the year after
link to overthecap.com
Wrong
Its to replace the 2023 6th rounder that Pace used for Jakeem Grant.
Trying to get back the future that Pace kept throwing away year after year.
As Sam Elliott said in Road House, “Exactly right”.
If the Cubs trade Willson Contreras today we’re storming City Hall
(this was a joke, FBI agent)
I expect that to happen soon also now that the lockout is over. Sorry.
If they’re not gonna extend him, then yeah it makes sense to trade him before the season to maximize the return. Cubs and Bears are in similar positions, they need to stockpile for the future and can’t afford to lose potential assets for nothing.
Yes!!! Love this move
What’s not to love? It’s a no brainer.
Ryan Pace’s restructured contracts and voidable years. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Now cut Eddie Jackson and Tarik Cohen.
Sad to see Mack leave
Chargers going to be huge next year.
Denver is nice, Chiefs are nice but I actually think the Chargers will finish on top.
If I’m the chargers now I try trade out of the first for 2 seconds. Take McBride the TE and one of the really good safeties. Hope to get lucky picking a WR late in the draft and find some bargains in FA for depth in other areas
Pretty bold take and i’ll give you props if it ends up like that.
I see it as Chiefs, Bronocos, Chargers, neither team has done enough to keep up with the Chiefs offense
The Bears have no clue. They can’t even determine if they are rebuilding or trying to contend.
They are trying to contend with the Lions for the no clue award.
A 2nd and a 6th?
The Bears obviously have a GM who does not care what was done in the past and I like most of his moves so far. At least he is committed to a direction, unlike the last regime who stuck with favorites to stick with favorites and stayed on a middling path. However, the Mack trade puzzles me a bit as I think Poles should have gotten more of a guy of Mack’s caliber, 31yrs old or not. Time ultimately tells the whole story, but I think for a 2nd rounder only for this year (and a pathetic 6th rounder next year) the Chargers got a steal from a new young GM that appears to not know what he’s doing when it comes to trading a player. Hopefully Im wrong.
Yes but the Chargers are paying at least market value on that player. With salary cap, a team has to spend very wisely to win. Not sure if Mack is a net win, when salary is considered.