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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 01: Khalil Mack #52 of the Los Angeles Chargers reacts after his sack during a 24-17 Chargers win over the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Chargers have big decisions to make on several of their soon-to-be-free agent players.
Among them is EDGE Khalil Mack, who has spent the past four seasons in Los Angeles. He has been named to the Pro Bowl in three of those four years, but a dislocated elbow limited him to 11 starts in 2025. Mack still turned solid production, recording 32 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
He signed a one-year contract with the Chargers last offseason in hopes of winning a Super Bowl, which has alluded him throughout his decorated 12-year NFL career. As free agency approaches, Mack is once again faced with the decision to re-up with Los Angles one more time, join a different team, or retire.
Los Angeles Chargers EDGE Khalil Mack linked to reuniting with the Chicago Bears
The folks at Pro Football Focus recently identified five veteran free agents that are chasing their first Super Bowl ring in 2026. Mack was one of the five named, and was linked to potentially rejoining the Bears due to the same reasons he re-signed with the Chargers last year.
“There may not be a more accomplished player in the NFL today without a Super Bowl on their résumé than Mack,” Daire Carragher of PFF wrote. “His nine Pro Bowl selections, four first-team All-Pro nods and Defensive Player of the Year award from a decade ago are enough to make him a serious contender for the Hall of Fame someday, but a Super Bowl ring to round out his career would be the icing on the cake. Mack previously made a good choice on paper as a free agent four years ago. The Los Angeles Chargers looked like a perennial Super Bowl contender with a promising quarterback, yet nothing other than wild-card round disappointment has followed. Mack is now searching for the next team most capable of helping him reach the promised land.
“While retirement is certainly on the table for the 34-year-old, a return to the Chicago Bears has also been floated out there. A completely different team from the one he left at the end of 2021, the current Bears share many of the same characteristics that made Los Angeles such an attractive landing spot back then, namely a budding superstar at quarterback entering his third season. After returning from injury midseason, Mack finished 15th among edge rushers in total pressures from Week 8 until the end of the regular season. He posted an elite 90.2 overall PFF season grade as recently as 2024, and when healthy and available, he is still up there with the top edge-setting run defenders in the sport.”
Chargers remain Mack’s best at a Super Bowl run
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There’s no denying that the Chargers’ one-and-done playoff exits have been disappointing each of the last two years. However, the 2024 season was the first for coach Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles, and the team was decimated by injuries in 2025. Year 3 is typically when a new regime is ready to make a serious run at a championship.
There is nothing definitive that the Bears are closer to being a Super Bowl caliber team than the Chargers, particularly on the side of the ball Mack plays on. Los Angeles’ defensive unit outranked Chicago’s against the pass, run, and in sacks in 2025. Mack would also be tasked with joining a very different scheme with the Bears than what he plays in with the Chargers.
Another point to debunk is that of the quarterbacks. Caleb Williams certainly took a step forward during his second season with the Bears, but only threw for 215 more yards and one more touchdown than Justin Herbert, and Herbert played in one less game than Williams. Herbert also has a much longer and proven track record, which includes an MVP vote for the 2025 season.
Nick Roesch Nick Roesch covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, with a focus on the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Chargers. He previously covered the Chiefs for USA TODAY Sports’ Chiefs Wire, and all 32 NFL teams for A to Z Sports. Roesch’s career in sports media spans 10 years. More about Nick Roesch
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