NFL Analysis
12/9/24
6 min read
2025 NFL Free Agency: Top Landing Spots for Chargers Edge Khalil Mack
He may be getting older, but Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher Khalil Mack will still draw of ton of interest in free agency after this season.
Mack is 33 years old and been dealing with a groin injury this season. Despite the bad injury luck, he's still recorded five sacks, two forced fumbles, and a team-high 34 pressures in 12 games.
Pass rushers tend to come with a premium price tag in free agency. However, a player near the end of his career like Mack might not be seeking a long-term deal knowing that he has a handful of good years left before his career comes to an end.
Even if Mack has lost a step, the eight-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year should draw interest from multiple teams, and a few would be ideal landing spots for both him and the franchise.
Khalil Mack Landing Spots
Khalil Mack is what old people like to call "biblically strong" pic.twitter.com/w2DocHHv7M
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) September 9, 2024
Los Angeles Chargers 
If Mack loves the Chargers and what Jim Harbaugh is building in Los Angeles, he might be willing to take a hometown discount.
However, the Chargers don't exactly need to keep Mack. Second-year pass rusher Tuli Tuipulotu is emerging as a legitimate force on the edge, generating 12 sacks and three forced fumbles in two seasons. Tuipulotu and Joey Bosa still make a formidable pass-rushing duo for the Chargers.
Even if Mack took more of a rotational role with the Chargers, he could still serve as a mentor for a young EDGE like Tuipulotu. The bigger question is whether Mack is seeking another chance at being a No. 1 pass rusher or if he wants to play for a playoff contender, regardless of his role.
The Chargers are projected to have more than $76 million in cap space, so they can make a competitive offer to Mack if they want to bring him back.
Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst actually tried to trade for Mack in 2018 but was outbid by the Chicago Bears. Even if Mack is a few years older, he could still be a legitimate upgrade to Green Bay's struggling pass rush.
Heading into Week 14, the Packers were 27th in the league in pass rush win rate. Rashan Gary leads the team with 5.5 sacks 34 pressures. No other player on the team has more than 3.0 sacks or 21 pressures.
That's not going to cut it for a defense that has consistently produced takeaways. For as aggressive and promising as defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley's defense has looked, the scheme struggles without consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
In addition, the Packers lack a veteran leader in the EDGE room after trading away Preston Smith. Signing Mack could give Gary and Lukas Van Ness a future Hall of Famer to learn from while giving the Packers a boost to their underperforming pass rush.
New England Patriots
Drake Maye is ushering in a new era for the New England Patriots, but that new era will require a serious infusion of talent.
There aren't many bright spots on the Patriots defense, especially after trading Matthew Judon away to the Atlanta Falcons. However, former second-round pick Keion White is starting to emerge as a solid pass rusher in his second season. After recording just one sack as a rookie, White has generated five sacks and two forced fumbles in 2024.
One consistent pass rusher won't cut it, however, especially playing in the same division as Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Adding another established EDGE would move Anfernee Jennings to a rotational role, giving the Patriots one of the strongest pass-rushing duos in the league between Mack and White.
A rebuilding franchise like the Patriots may not be eager to sign too many aging veterans, but with $132 million in cap space for 2025, they'll need to use that money on good players regardless of age.
Philadelphia Eagles
If Mack wants to play for a contender in 2025, there aren't many better options than the Philadelphia Eagles.
Despite having such a stacked defense, the Eagles will have to fill some major holes on the edge depending on how things go in free agency. Both Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham are in the final year of their contracts, while Graham is 36 years old and dealing with a torn triceps that ended his 2024 season.
Before his injury, Graham said he would retire after this season, and Sweat could be seeking a sizable long-term deal that would price him out of Philadelphia. The Eagles could decide to swap Sweat out for Mack and an early draft pick while seeing if Nolan Smith can handle a bigger role as a pass rusher.
Regardless of whether or not Sweat and Graham come back, an extra veteran pass rusher like Mack could be a nice bonus to an already-talented Eagles defense.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams have the youngest defensive front in the NFL, and with how they're playing, Les Snead might not be interested in adding an older pass rusher.
LA's pass-rushing group of Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner, and Byron Young is dominating in the trenches. The four have combined for 21.5 sacks and 163 pressures, despite all of them playing in their first or second NFL seasons.
That kind of youth might make a player like Mack undesirable. However, if he's looking to play for a contender while still getting paid on a respectable deal. The Rams have $56 million to work with this offseason, so they could give Mack a two-year deal for some decent money.
Plus, Mack wouldn't have to do much moving, staying in the Los Angeles area. He could want a long-term deal or a chance to play for a juggernaut, but the Rams have the offensive firepower and a young defense to be taken seriously as a playoff contender for as long as Matthew Stafford can keep slinging it.
