Outside linebacker Khalil Mack is set to hit free agency for the first time in his 11-year career, but he’ll be weighing retirement along with any contract offers he receivers.
The 33-year-old said that he was uncertain about his future plans after the Chargers’ 32-12 loss to the Texans in the wild card round on Saturday.
“Man, it’s a lot of different thoughts in my head right now,” said Mack (via ESPN’s Kris Rhim). “I can’t really speak on a definitive decision in terms of what I’m going to do because I don’t know if I’m going to play football moving forward.”
Mack added that he wanted to spend time with his family and “try not to make a rash decision after a loss.” The former Raider and Bear is all too familiar with first-round playoff exits: Saturday’s loss dropped him to 0-5 in his postseason career.
That lack of team success will factor into Mack’s decision. He was hoping the Chargers’ offseason overhaul would put him in a position to contend for a Super Bowl for the first time in his career. Instead, Los Angeles flamed out in the first round, leaving Mack to decide between running it back or chasing a ring elsewhere.
Like many veteran players at his age, Mack will likely have to choose between the best financial offer and the opportunity to play on a championship contender. He played through a groin injury to record six sacks and a Pro Bowl appearance despite the lowest snap share of his career, so he could still command a sizable salary in the edge defender market.
However, Mack’s career earnings are just under $170MM, the second-most of any edge defender in NFL history behind Von Miller, giving him the financial flexibility to accept a lower offer from a contending team.
That could still be the Chargers, who are currently projected to have more than $70MM in cap space next season (fourth-most in the NFL), per OverTheCap, though that number will drop once Mack’s release is processed. (His contract includes a void year in 2025, so he will count for a $8.9MM dead cap hit on the Chargers’ books.) Head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz will likely prioritize pass-catchers for Justin Herbert this offseason, but it will be tough to ignore a return from Mack on a discounted deal.
Mack has plenty of time to decide on his football future. If he retires, he’ll finish his playing career with 107.5 sacks (32nd-most all-time) and 34 forced fumbles (tied for 24th-most all-time). He also earned nine Pro Bowl appearances and three first-team All-Pro selections, along with the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year award and a spot on the 2010s’ All-Decade team.
The Bills will likely have a need for his skills after releasing Von Miller next year.
So long as it’s only one guaranteed season, I’m ok with that. They should have learned a lesson from the Von deal. He’s has been playing well these last weeks but I’m pretty sure the team regrets that contract.
Khalil Mack is very consistent year in and year out, you can basically put him on the board for 5 pass deflections, 5 forced fumbles, 10 sacks, 30 tackles, with 10 tackles for a loss.
Mack has spent his entire career chasing the highest payday, with that $41 million year with Chicago. If he had been willing to take less for a contender, his end story would be completely different.
Mack hasn’t been good for a few seasons now. He used to disrupt offenses single-handedly. Not anymore.
Bud … you cant pencil him for 10 sacks … lol … he had 6 this season and isnt worth 25 mill a year. Mack needs to Retire or play somewhere else for less money.