Khalil Mack Trade Rumors: Bears Expected to Ask, but 0-6 Chargers Are Holding On for Now

Khalil Mack is back at the center of NFL trade talk. A day after the Chicago Bears sent two first-round picks to the Tennessee Titans for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, reports on Oct. 30 said Chicago may still want to bring back its former star pass rusher. The catch: the winless Los Angeles Chargers have reportedly not been willing to sell.

The trade deadline is Nov. 10, which leaves 11 days for anything to change.

Khalil Mack and the Bears: a possible reunion

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport expects the Bears to inquire about Mack, according to Pro Football Rumors. Chicago has been linked to him several times in recent weeks. Bleacher Report noted that Fox’s Jay Glazer said last weekend that the Bears had already contacted the Chargers about Mack, and that he expected Chicago to be “really aggressive” at the deadline.

The history is obvious. Mack played for the Bears from 2018 to 2021, earning three Pro Bowl selections and one First Team All-Pro nod in that span, before Chicago traded him to the Chargers.

At 5-2 and in the NFC North race, the Bears already have a solid pass rush. Pro Football Rumors reported that Chicago ranks eighth in sacks and ninth in pass rush win rate, with Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Daniel Hardy and Shemar Turner on the edge. Adding Simmons in the middle and Mack on the outside would give the defense a very different look.

The Jeffery Simmons trade changes the math

The Simmons deal was big. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, as cited by Bleacher Report, Chicago sent first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 plus a 2027 fourth-rounder to Tennessee for Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick.

That leaves the Bears with less draft capital, though Bleacher Report pointed out they still hold their 2027 second- and third-round picks. Money may be the bigger problem. Mack is on a one-year, $18 million deal that is fully guaranteed and counts $18 million against the cap, per Pro Football Rumors. The same report, citing Over the Cap, said the Bears are down to about $1.27 million in cap space after the Simmons trade. That makes any deal for a high-salary player hard to pull off without sending money back or the Chargers retaining salary.

Why the Chargers aren’t selling yet

Los Angeles is 0-6 and the last winless team in the league. Still, SI.com’s Albert Breer reported that the Chargers have “shut down trade inquiries” so far, according to Bleacher Report. General manager Joe Hortiz and coach Jim Harbaugh reportedly aren’t ready to “wave any sort of white flag.”

Breer named Mack and wide receiver Quentin Johnston as players with questions around their availability.

Pro Football Rumors noted that no team has ever made the playoffs after an 0-6 start, and suggested Hortiz may become more open to offers if the losing continues. The Chargers play the Los Angeles Rams this weekend, and they have one more game before the deadline. Reports differ on the details of that schedule, so it’s worth watching the results rather than the calendar: a couple of wins could keep Los Angeles out of the seller’s market entirely.

How Khalil Mack is playing at 35

Mack is not the Defensive Player of the Year version of himself anymore, but he is still productive. Six games into his 13th season, the nine-time Pro Bowler has three sacks, five tackles for loss and six quarterback hits, according to Pro Football Rumors. Pro Football Focus ranks him 23rd among 113 qualifying edge defenders, per that report.

Bleacher Report argued that trading Mack could make sense for both sides: he is 35, on a one-year deal and could leave in free agency, so the Chargers might get an asset back rather than nothing, while Mack would get a shot at contending this season.

Other Khalil Mack trade fits

Chicago isn’t the only team mentioned. Bleacher Report listed the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs as possible fits:

• Buffalo Bills: Bleacher Report said Buffalo ranks 31st in total defense and 30th in scoring defense. Mack played his college football at the University at Buffalo.
• Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs have a strong scoring defense but had only eight sacks, tied for second-fewest in the league, according to the same report.

These are analyst suggestions, not reported talks.

FAQ

What to watch next

The next two Chargers games may matter more than any phone call. If Los Angeles keeps losing, the pressure to move veterans like Mack will grow. If it wins, the team’s current stance may hold through Nov. 10. For Chicago, the question is less about interest than about whether it can make the money work.