Future Hall of Famer Khalil Mack is arguably the biggest impending free agent for the Los Angeles Chargers. A former Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Pro, and nine-time Pro Bowler, Mack remained efficient in 2024 despite playing in his age-33 season. Starting in 16 games, the veteran recorded six sacks, 39 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, 15 quarterback hits, and a 90.2 PFF grade, the fifth-best mark in the league.
Now set to reach the open market, Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated believes the star pass rusher will join a new team in 2025. In a recent piece, the NFL analyst predicted the 34-year-old will sign a one-year deal with another team. While he didn’t name a team, it’s easy to envision some fits. While he’s still a good player, Mack is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning and would only make sense for an organization with a realistic shot of making the playoffs next year. In no particular order, the following five teams fit that description.
Chargers Could Lose Free Agent Khalil Mack
Possible Fits
Chicago Bears
While he didn’t have the same impressive debuts as fellow quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye, the Chicago Bears must feel good about first-overall pick Caleb Williams. The USC product had a solid rookie season, and he should improve with head coach Ben Johnson running the offense. Williams can get this team to the playoffs, but they’ll need a strong defense to go on a deep postseason run. Khalil Mack had some of his best years with Chicago, and bringing him back for one last run makes all the sense in the world.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions won 15 games last year despite enduring an absurd amount of injuries. However, they went one-and-done in the playoffs and lost both coordinators to head coaching opportunities. This team must add more talent to overcome the coaching vacancies, especially along the defensive line. While superstar Aidan Hutchinson will return, his absence proved this team needs another player capable of getting after the quarterback. Khalil Mack is one of the best free agent options and is a perfect choice for this team’s closing Super Bowl window.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are poised to make a leap in 2025. After watching first-overall pick Bryce Young come alive down the stretch, the team could win a weak NFC South if they improve arguably the worst defense in football. The team never found a proper replacement for Brian Burns, and Mack can give them a short-term answer as a pass rusher. When paired with the returning Derrick Brown and a potential top-10 pick, Carolina’s defense should be good enough to support Young and the offense.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs only have one reliable edge rusher in former first-round pick George Karlaftis. While the team attempted to fix the position with the Josh Uche trade, the former Patriot couldn’t hold up his end of the bargain. Instead of trying to get by with band-aid fixes, the team should aggressively pursue Khalil Mack as a free agent. 2025 will probably be Travis Kelce’s last year in the NFL, so they should try and send him out with another Lombardi Trophy.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons have a promising offense with quarterback Michael Penix, wide receiver Drake London, and running back Bijan Robinson. Unfortunately, none of it will matter without drastic improvements from the defense. With Matthew Judon unlikely to return, the Falcons should pursue a proven pass rusher like Mack on the open market. While he is on the older side, he performed well last year and should have more in his tank than Judon.
Main Photo: Thomas Shea – Imagn Images
