Don’t Rule Out a Khalil Mack-Bears Reunion ...0

The Chicago Bears’ teardown and rebuild efforts under the direction of General Manager Ryan Poles began with the Khalil Mack trade in 2022. Three years later, Mack is on the brink of hitting free agency. Lo and behold, the Bears still need to fill the void Mack’s departure left behind. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

Perhaps you are. Or maybe you aren’t. In any case, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post makes it a point to not rule out the possibility of Khalil Mack returning to the Bears this offseason:

Crazy as it might sound, don’t rule out a return to Chicago for the soon-to-be 34-year old. The Bears gave up serious draft capital to land him from Oakland in 2018; they later dealt him to the Chargers for far less. But this league can move in mysterious ways. Chicago wants pass rush help, has money to spend and is under pressure to win with quarterback Caleb Williams on his rookie deal.

EARLIER: What About a Khalil Mack Reunion in 2025?

Before I go any further, I need to make one important point: Yes, I know that Jason La Canfora’s reporting on the Bears in the past has been spotty at best. Hence, I am taking what he said above with a grain of salt. But with that in mind, JLC is right to point out that (1) the Bears want pass rush help (which is something new DC Dennis Allen made clear with his recent statements) and (2) the team has money to spend and could do so in their attempts to upgrade the pass rush. All in all, La Canfora’s words provide us with a jumping-off point to discuss the Bears’ needs at an important position.

If not Khalil Mack, who else could be a Bears defensive end target?

Since leaving the Bears, Khalil Mack has made three Pro Bowls, collected 31 sacks, racked up 49 quarterback hits, and tacked on 39 tackles for loss in 50 games. But as much as I love a prodigal son returns storyline, I must stress that it is incredibly rare to see a player traded off a team, only to see them come back into the fold. Mack is as good as he ever was entering his age 34 season.

With that being said, I do not think you need to twist yourself into a pretzel to create a scenario in which a Khalil Mack reunion with the Chicago Bears makes sense. The team has cap space and a need at the defensive end position. And Mack will be deserving of a deal that pays him handsomely to take his talents to a team that needs him.

But what if a Khalil Mack return to Chicago isn’t in the cards? After all, the Bears are not the only team that makes sense as a suitor for Mack. Plans B, C, D, etc. should be lined up for this front office.

Pro Football Focus has seven edge defenders ranked among the site’s top 50 available free agents. When you expand out to the top 100, there are eight more. That brings us to 15 defensive end options checking in among the PFF top 100. And for what it’s worth, there are a handful of names who have some familiarity with the Bears.

For instance, Bears Assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham was the Eagles’ director of college scouting when Philly drafted Josh Sweat in 2018. Sweat is PFF’s No. 2 edge free agent and ranks 10th overall. Dennis Allen, the Bears’ new defensive coordinator, was the New Orleans Saints’ head coach when the team signed Chase Young last offseason. Chicago was also rumored to be interested in Young at the trade deadline in 2023 (and last offseason before free agency opened). Speaking of previous trade targets, Matthew Judon is on the cusp of free agency. The Bears tried cutting a deal with the Patriots to get Judon last year, but New England ultimately sent him to the Atlanta Falcons.

And if all else fails, the Bears could turn to the 2025 NFL Draft in search of help off the edge. Matt Rooney’s latest mock draft has Chicago’s football team targeting one of college football’s best pass-rushing prospects with the No. 10 pick.

My big takeaway at the end of all of this is that the Chicago Bears have options if they want to pursue upgrading their defensive line. Frankly, Chicago’s front office should be lining up all sorts of options that make sense as free agent signings, trade targets, and draft fits. A Khalil Mack-Bears reunion would be fun, to be sure. But I wouldn’t get hyper-fixated on that possibility.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Don’t Rule Out a Khalil Mack-Bears Reunion )

Also on site :

• Prince William hires mum Princess Diana’s divorce lawyers in huge break with tradition
• Putin sends 60k kidnapped Ukrainian kids to remote camps after tyrant blasted for ‘brainwashing & weaponising’ children
• Tesco shoppers left fuming over ‘shortage’ of essential item on supermarket shelves