Veteran edge rusher Khalil Mack has agreed to return to the Los Angeles Chargers, the team announced Saturday night. The deal is for one year and $18 million guaranteed, according to reports.
Mack, a nine-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, will enter his fifth season with the Chargers and his 13th NFL season. He was the No. 13-ranked player on The Athletic’s top-150 free agents and the fourth-best edge rusher available.
Mack turned 35 in February. After this season, he will have played more seasons with the Chargers than with any other team. He played four seasons for the then-Oakland Raiders and four seasons for the Chicago Bears.
After the Chargers lost to the New England Patriots in the first round of the playoffs in January, Mack said he would take some time to consider his options, including retirement. However, he strongly intimated that he would continue playing.
“I love this game, with the ups and the downs,” Mack said on Jan. 12. “It just makes you appreciate what you got to put in to win in this league. It’s the ultimate game, bro, when it comes to team and playing for your brothers.”
Mack went through a similar process after the 2024 season. The Chargers lost to the Houston Texans in the first round of the playoffs. Mack considered retirement but returned to the Chargers on a one-year deal.
In Week 2 last season, Mack suffered a dislocated elbow that kept him out until Week 7. The injury stunted his season, and he only finished with 5.5 sacks, his lowest total since his rookie season in 2014.
Over the second half of the year, though, Mack was still playing at a high level, even if the sacks did not come. From Week 8 on, he ranked 14th in pressure rate among defensive players with at least 150 pass rush snaps in that span, according to TruMedia. He was also dominant against the run. Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu and Odafe Oweh formed a formidable pass-rush trio that was an engine for the Chargers defense down the stretch.
Mack has plenty left in the tank. He also has one nagging hole in his Hall of Fame resume: Mack has yet to win a playoff game in six career trips. Mack has made the postseason at least once with all three of his teams.
Mack said after the season that not having a playoff win would eat at him later in life if he decided to retire this offseason.
“I’m naturally just a competitor,” he said. “It’s in me since I was a kid. I grew up with my two other brothers, and that’s all I knew, was competition and competing and trying to be the best. I want to ultimately be a champion.”
Mack will take another shot with quarterback Justin Herbert and coach Jim Harbaugh in 2026.
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
