Chargers' Khalil Mack involved in 'dream' trade deadline scenario

Chris Roling | Nov 4, 2024

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers star Khalil Mack, who just gave fans a brief injury scare over the weekend, isn’t going to be leaving the team via the trade deadline this year.

Still, as a veteran with an expiring contract and the Chargers undergoing a soft rebuild with Jim Harbaugh, Mack’s name has come up in speculation before that deadline.

One recent example is Chris Licata of Athlon Sports proposing a trade scenario in which the Chargers send Mack to the Atlanta Falcons: “Even at age 33, Mack is coming off of consecutive Pro Bowl seasons while still disrupting offenses. He is on a one-year, $19.2 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, but over $17 million came in the form of a signing bonus, so his relative affordability becomes an attractive part of the equation.”

At this point, though, the Chargers are right in the thick of things in the AFC playoff race, and the conversation is more likely to center around whether the team brings him back this offseason.

Mack might be getting up there in age, but he’s still super productive too and just played a key role in a six-sack, three-interception showing for his defense in the win over Cleveland. The Chargers project to have roughly $76 million in cap space in 2025 before any other cap-saving moves, so if Harbaugh wants to keep Mack, he’s going to keep Mack.

Had the Chargers exited the bye at 2-2 and lost three of their next four, maybe the front office eyeballs a Mack trade because of the massive price he would fetch, even on an expiring deal.

But now? One has to think the soft rebuild around Harbaugh will include Mack in the 2025 season somehow, too.

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