No months-long deliberation will commence for Khalil Mack. After the Chargers’ wild-card defeat in Houston, Mack indicated he would ponder retirement. That process is now over, and the veteran edge rusher will test free agency for the first time.
Mack will indeed play in 2025, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This will allow for a free agency bid, though the Chargers are interested in bringing back the former Defensive Player of the Year. Jim Harbaugh mentioned Mack as a potential top priority for his team, though it will be interesting to see if Mack — who was tied to a six-year extension agreed to shortly after he joined the Bears — will consider other teams given that he has never reached free agency.
As Joey Bosa continued to navigate injury issues in recent years, Mack bounced back from a foot malady sustained during his final Bears season by regularly remaining available in Los Angeles. Mack could not approach his 17-sack 2023 season, registering six, but he added another Pro Bowl to his resume last season. Mack and Bosa were critical components of Jesse Minter‘s No. 1-ranked defense this season. Bosa is under contract for 2025, though his roster spot may not be completely secure, but Mack is about six weeks from free agency.
Mack only missed one game as a Charger, and that durability will help him on the market. While teams will factor Mack’s age (34 in February) into the equation, he still should be a coveted short-term commodity. Although Mack would have been better served by pushing for a shorter-team extension upon being traded to the Bears, he has done very well for himself in the NFL. The former No. 4 overall pick has earned more than $169MM and has placed himself on the Hall of Fame radar.
The former Raiders and Bears EDGE has 107.5 career sacks. For a surefire Hall of Fame bid, Mack could use another strong season. He ranks 32nd on the career sack list. While the Buffalo alum is 9-for-11 in Pro Bowls, his most recent All-Pro nod came in 2020 with Chicago. Merely reaching 5.5 sacks in 2025 would vault Mack into the top 25 (in terms of official sacks, which were not recorded until 1982) all time. He is 15.5 shy of the top 20, though active rushers Cameron Jordan (121.5) and Calais Campbell (110.5) and T.J. Watt (108) could interfere with such a climb.
This year’s edge rusher market is set to include younger talents like Chase Young and Azeez Ojulari while also housing a number of accomplished vets — Mack, Matt Judon, Haason Reddick and DeMarcus Lawrence among them. The Chargers also have Bud Dupree and Tuli Tuipulotu signed long term, which will make it interesting regarding how far the resurgent AFC West franchise will go to retain Mack.