When the Chicago Bears acquired edge rusher Khalil Mack in a trade with the Raiders prior to the 2018 season, it was one of the biggest trades in recent NFL history. Now, there could be a possibility the two sides reunite.
NFL Analyst Suggest Khalil Mack Could Return to Chicago
Chris Emma of 670 The Score, a sports radio station local to Chicago, indicated that Mack, who has spent the last three seasons with the Chargers, could be open to returning to the Bears as he hits free agency in the 2025 NFL offseason.
“Sources believe Mack has interest in a return to Chicago, where he played from 2018-’21. Mack isn’t interested in the spotlight, but the vision would be for him to be a complementary piece of the defense, not the star.”
Emma also pointed out the possibility of Mack serving as a stopgap option for the Bears at defensive end. At 34 years old, he is likely in the twilight of his career and unlikely to obtain a long-term contract in free agency. On a short deal, though, teams could be willing to fork over a significant amount of money to sign him.
“As the Bears look to make a turnaround, they could sign Mack to a one- or two-year deal that fits within quarterback Caleb Williams’ rookie contract window. That would allow them to retain their salary cap flexibility in the long-term.”
“Sources believe [Khalil] Mack has interest in a return to Chicago”
Lot of good #Bears nuggets here, but this stood out to me the most. https://t.co/Bn1Q4s6zuz
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) March 3, 2025
Mack is coming off of another Pro Bowl season, his ninth over the course of 11 seasons in the NFL. He tallied six sacks in the 16 games he played for the Chargers in 2024, giving him a total of 31 sacks in his three years with the organization. His 90.4 PFF grade in 2024 ranked fifth in the NFL among all edge rushers.
As a whole, the Chargers defense ranked fourth overall in PFSN’s Defense+ metric, with a B- grade.
“Jesse Minter’s unit ended up being one of the most improved in 2024. Purported defensive guru Brandon Staley never got this unit to rank higher than 24th during his three seasons. While the Chargers might not have been as great as their No. 1 scoring defense rank indicated, this was unquestionably an elite unit.”
The Bears find themselves in a position to invest in a new defensive end for their base 4-3 system. They acquired Montez Sweat in a trade in 2023, and though he’s had 11.5 sacks in the 25 games he’s played with the team, there’s been a lack of consistency alongside him off the edge.
After releasing veteran edge rusher DeMarcus Walker and tight end Gerald Everett, Chicago ranks third in the league with over $79.4 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap. Though the offensive line stands out as a big need on their roster, the defensive line is also a position likely to be addressed in free agency.
With a boatload of cap space, the No. 10 overall pick and two second-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, it would make sense for the Bears to heavily address the trenches on both sides of the ball.
A reunion with Khalil Mack would give Chicago a formidable pass-rushing duo off the edge in 2025. He would also serve as a valuable mentor for a draft pick should they choose to develop a rookie edge rusher behind him on the depth chart.