Going into the offseason, it wasn’t clear if Los Angeles Chargers pending free agent Khalil Mack was going to retire in 2026.
Mack, who was spent the last four seasons with the Chargers, just turned 35 and has flirted with the idea of retirement before.
However, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Mack does plan on playing in 2026, although he is going to be “exploring all options” in free agency.
While he’s long in the tooth, Mack is still an impact player, as evidenced by his 5.5 sacks and 39 total pressures in 12 games last season.
The rumor from Rapoport is both good and bad news for the Chargers.
The good news is, Mack could possibly return to Los Angeles, where help along the edge is needed. But given the fact that Mack is going to explore his options in free agency, it means he isn’t certain to return to the Chargers.
Along with the Chargers, three teams that could have interest in Mack are the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions.
Philly will have a need for two edge rushers this offseason if Jaelan Phillips and Brandon Graham don’t return. Both are pending free agents and Graham could conceivably retire once again.
The Cowboys also need multiple edge rushers and a big move is needed to replace the production lost from the Micah Parsons trade with the Green Bay Packers.
As for the Lions, they don’t have a sure solution opposite Aidan Hutchinson, as Al-Quadin Muhammad is a pending free agent and Detroit could let him walk if his market is strong.
Mack would be an ideal fit with all three teams, and the Cowboys, Eagles, Lions and Chargers figure to be four of many teams interested in his services.
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