Both Sides of the Mack Trade
With all milestone games or personnel moves in the National Football League, there are winners and losers.
It happened with the playoffs, it happened with the trades of Russell Wilson and Carson Wentz and even the decision by Aaron Rodgers to stay put.
Thursday's Bears trade of Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers produced the same effect.
Here are those who gained and those who lost.
Khalil Mack Trade Winners
Mack: He's going to stay in a 3-4 defensive system under coach Brandon Staley he knows and has thrived in with the Bears, although he didn't perform poorly by any means in a 4-3 with Oakland earlier in his career. He's going to be around coaches he already knows. And he's going to L.A. where he won't have to worry about the pathetic Chicago weather. He also has a lot better chance of winning games, at least this year, than he would have with the Bears during a rebuild.
Chargers edge rusher Joey Bosa: He already has 58 sacks in six seasons and four times hit double figures without really having someone who can take double teams away. He might never see a double team again with Mack on the other side of the line.
Chargers coach Brandon Staley: He was Khalil Mack's outside linebackers coach in Chicago under Vic Fangio, before becoming Sean McVay's defensive coordinator with the Rams. Mack always had high praise for Staley and vice versa even though they were together only one season before Fangio went to Denver and Staley followed him.
Chargers defensive run game coordinator Jay Rodgers: The former Bears defensive line coach has another title besides being the defensive run game coordinator. He's also outside linebackers coach for the Chargers. How would you like being told that you've just been given Khalil Mack to join Nick Bosa on either side of the line? Jackpot.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert: Although he's been far ahead of the game for a young passer he has also thrown 25 interceptions and fumbled nine times in his first two years. Now he might not have to worry about the turnovers as much because he'll have someone helping get him the ball right back. Mack had 11 forced fumbles in his first three Bears seasons and 23 for his career.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers: Mack sacked him 4 1/2 times and had five QB hits against him since 2018.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins: He didn't get sacked an abnormal number of times but ever since getting sacked and hit twice by Mack in the first game he faced him with the Bears he seemed more jumpy and ill at ease in the pocket against Chicago.
Lions Tackle Taylor Decker: He was the blocker Mack "posterized" on a pass rush when he was knocked completely on his rear end before Matthew Stafford was sacked in a highlight clip that has since been elevated to GIF status across the web. No more Mack to posterize NFC North blockers.
Buccaneers Tackle Tristan Wirfs: The Buccaneers only see the Bears on occasion but now they'll only have to see Mack every four years. Wirfs was the Buccaneers tackle in 2020 who Mack fought off while sacking Tom Brady, then was thrown down hard to the ground by Mack for an embarrassing conclusion to the play. Like the Decker play, this one was replayed over and over again.
Bears GM Ryan Poles: It's always a difficult thing to trade away big stars but GMs have to do it and being able to do it in your first year on the job is the ideal time. Now he'll have that cap space back, just $6 million this year, but huge chunks of it the next few years after that.
Bears DE Trevis Gipson: The job is his to keep now after making seven sacks last year, although you can bet another defensive end now comes into play for the draft.
Bears tackle Lachavious Simmons: Simmons has only played in two games but in practice at training camp the backup offense has usually lined up against the backup defense and guess who had to block Khalil Mack most of the time, day-in and day-out? Larry Borom, the starting right tackle for the moment, would have faced him some as well, but no more.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields: Now they have more of a chance to find someone who can catch his passes or block for him, both necessities considering they likely will lose wide receiver Allen Robinson in free agency and could also lose starting guard James Daniels.
Chargers fans in L.A.: All seven of them.
Khalil Mack Trade Losers
Bears DE Robert Quinn: Quinn performed well after Mack was gone last year. In fact, he was at his best then, but there's no way anyone can argue he'll have an easier time now. When a player who took up double- and triple-teams is gone, the extra blocking attention all is going to come his way.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus: It can't be argued Mack failed to fit the new Bears defense Eberflus uses. Mack's best season came in a 4-3 for the Raiders at end. Certainly Eberflus knows the need to rebuild, but who can really say they like the idea of that second-round pick and a sixth-round pick next year better than they would like having Mack terrorize the opposing passer?
Bears defensive line coach Travis Smith: The new Bears D-line coach was with Khalil Mack in the past with the Raiders and had to be looking forward to a chance to reunite in Chicago. How do you tell him about the trade if you're Poles? "Ooops, sorry Travis, we traded him away," just doesn't seem to do it justice.
Bears fans: There's no way to argue they'll really enjoy what they got in return for Mack, because they won't know who that will be for a while. Fans get attached to players even when the team isn't winning enough. Definitely Mack and Bears fans connected during the 2018 season, but he was injured and playing hurt or sitting out entirely through much of the 2019-21 seasons. So now he's on to L.A. and the Bears can't really say it improves the team. It's up to Poles to do that with what he got for Mack. In Poles they must trust.
Patrick Mahomes: Someone to worry about from the other end of the Chargers pass rush now. The AFC West is loaded with good quarterbacks and now it has one more pass rusher to give them headaches.
Russell Wilson: Welcome to the AFC West. There's someone you might remember from 2018 at Soldier Field when he had a strip sack in a 24-17 Bears win.
Derek Carr: The good news is he'll get to see his old friend a couple times a year now. The bad news is he'll get to see his old friend a couple times a year now.
Raiders Fans: Not only did they have to endure losing one of their favorite players in a trade when Jon Gruden was coach, but now he's returning and they'll get to face him twice a year. Talk about a slap in the face.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
