Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack is one of the top defensive players set to hit the free agency market this offseason. The 34-year-old has been a consistent difference-maker since entering the league in 2014 but has had very little playoff success and could look to chase a Super Bowl ring in the later years of his illustrious career.
If Mack departs Los Angeles in free agency, PFF’s Mason Cameron predicts the veteran pass rusher will sign with the Detroit Lions.
“Aidan Hutchinson was on a pace worthy of contending for Defensive Player of the Year prior to breaking his leg in October. Without him in the lineup, the Lions’ pass rush fell off a cliff, illustrating the team’s lack of depth on the edge. Mack, who will be 35 years old this season, still has plenty of good snaps in the tank and will command significant attention in free agency,” Cameron wrote.
Mack didn’t have his most productive campaign in 2024, as the veteran totaled six sacks and 49 quarterback pressures. However, the former first-round pick did have 17 sacks in 2023 and has missed just one game in the last three years.
Detroit tried to salvage the pass rush after Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending leg injury by trading for Za’Darius Smith at the trade deadline, but the unit struggled to generate consistent pressure last season, and it’s clear they need another piece.
Mack isn’t the same player he once was, but the nine-time Pro Bowler is still a formidable force and would pair well with Hutchinson.
Signing Mack won’t be cheap, as Spotrac and Pro Football Focus project the star edge rusher will land a contract worth around $22 to $23 million per year. However, the Lions have more than enough money to add Mack and address other needs on the roster, as the team is projected to have $51.8 million in cap space, per Over the Cap.
Overall, Khalil Mack didn’t have eye-popping numbers last season and is getting older, but the 2016 AP Defensive Player of the Year would be a fantastic addition to Kelvin Sheppard’s defense and bolster Detroit’s Super Bowl chances.
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