After making the Wild Card round in 2024, the Los Angeles Chargers and star edge rusher Khalil Mack are preparing for a deep postseason run. Originally a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Mack remains one of the game’s premier pass rushers despite being in his late 30s. Set to hit the open market following the season, the Chargers re-signed the future Hall of Famer to a one-year, $18 million contract. While he could have had many suitors, Mack recently explained his decision to re-sign with Los Angeles.
“I had to be fair in the approach to things and not making it about just finances and all the different things,” Mack said. “I tried to make it more so just about winning ball games.”
Khalil Mack Explains Why He Re-Signed With Los Angeles Chargers
$18 million for one year of work is obviously a pretty good deal, but other teams would have matched the Chargers offer on the open market. Now entering his age-34 season, Mack is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, and it makes sense that he wants to play for a contender. Justin Herbert is one of the game’s best quarterbacks, Jim Harbaugh guided the team to the playoffs in Year 1, and the roster is loaded with talent from top to bottom. While they may not be the AFC favorites, they should make noise in the playoffs.
If the Chargers make a deep playoff run, it will likely be largely thanks to Khalil Mack. Last year, the edge defender made the Pro Bowl while recording six sacks, six tackles-for-loss, 15 quarterback hits, and a 90.2 PFF grade, the fifth-best mark in the league.
Main Photo: Thomas Shea – Imagn Images
