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 6.0 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 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 Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2010s team.