Khalil Mack‘s career will include at least one more season, but it remains to be seen where he will play in 2025. The former Defensive Player of the Year is on track for his first trip to free agency. 
[RELATED: Mack-Bears Reunion On The Table?]
Mack has spent the past three year with the Chargers, collecting a Pro Bowl nod each time in that span. That brings his career total to nine, and even at the age of 34 a notable market could therefore exist in free agency. The Bolts want to work out a new deal with Mack before the new league year begins, though, something general manager Joe Hortiz spoke about on Tuesday.
“Khalil has never been a free agent in his life and so it might be something where Khalil wants to just say, ‘Hey, I was a free agent, I did it and I came back to LA,’” Hortiz said (via ESPN’s Kris Rhim). ” If it gets to that, that’s my hope.”
During the 2024 offseason – his first as a general manager – Hortiz was tasked with sorting out the Chargers’ cap situation. That was accomplished in large part by the release of Mike Williams and the trade which sent fellow receiver Keenan Allen to the Bears. Instead of moving on from Mack and/or Joey Bosa, Hortiz kept both of the team’s top edge rushers in place on restructured deals.
As a result, Bosa is set to carry a $36.47MM cap charge in 2025. A release would yield considerable cap savings in the case of the pending 2026 free agent, which is why many have pointed to that being a feasible move on the Chargers’ part. Hortiz said, however, he views it as “realistic” for Los Angeles to keep the oft-injured Pro Bowler on his contract as currently constructed (h/t Rhim).
Bosa played 14 games last year, a positive step after he was limited to five in 2022 and nine the following year. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year has spent his entire nine-year career with the Chargers, and Hortiz is clearly open to allowing him to continue on with the organization. If that proves to be the case with Mack being re-signed, the team will have veteran continuity along the edge in 2025.