Bear Digest

Former Bears Edge a Potential Cheaper Option in Free Agency

Khalil Mack has reportedly decided to return to the NFL for 2026 and as a free agent could a former Bear be a better fit for a season than more expensive edges?
Gene Chamberlain|
Khalil Mack sacks Pittsburgh QB Aaron Rodgers for a safety. The former Bears edge is slated to enter free agency in March.
Khalil Mack sacks Pittsburgh QB Aaron Rodgers for a safety. The former Bears edge is slated to enter free agency in March. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

While hysteria runs rampant among Bears fans about acquiring Raiders edge Maxx Crosby despite the lack of cap space and problems at defensive tackle, there is likely to be another option for providing short-term edge rush success with better long-term stability.

Whether it's the right way to go depends on GM Ryan Poles' roster goal at this position, but the answer for the Bears could be a former Raiders player they once had instead of one currently with Las Vegas. Of course, this would be Khalil Mack.

According to a Monday report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Mack will play at least another season. The former Bears edge rusher is a free agent at age 35 unless the Chargers re-enlist him before the March 11 deadline. However, Rapoport reports Mack is "exploring all options," and could enter the marketplace.

The Raiders' asking price for Crosby is reportedly two first-round picks and a player. With the Bears' interior defensive line badly in need of a makeover, giving up two first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 seems too high of a price to pay for a team that couldn't defend the run but did lead the NFL in takeaways.

Adding Mack on a one-year contract would leave  them with their draft picks to use for linebackers, defensive ends and safeties. It allows the Bears to continue the progress seen from Austin Booker as the starter while letting Mack be the rotational player at age 35.

The Bears still have Dayo Odeyingbo under contract and can do nothing about it because of the deal's structure. They can afford a Mack contract, even though it would be somewhat pricey for a rotational 35-year-old player.

Spotrac.com projected $18.4 million for Mack this year, The Athletic $18 million and Pro Football Focus $14 million. The Athletic ranked Mack the 14th best free agent available and PFF the 34th best.

While Mack is not the only veteran option, he is less expensive and his  contract is more easily worked into their salary cap structure because it would not rob from their future to the extent of longer-term deals for Crosby or free agent edge Trey Hendrickson.

For what it's worth, Hendrickson is projected at $25.4 million a year for two years by Spotrac and $21 million with $17 million guaranteed by PFF for one year. The Athletic puts Hendrickson at three years and $33 million.

Anything like that beyond this year is not sustainable by a team that will be paying a quarterback on his second contract within the next two seasons, unless they plan on cutting other players in the future like Montez Sweat, Jaylon Jones and Kyler Gordon.

An ever better option for them might be shopping around for another dependable bargain like Seattle got with DeMarcus Lawrence last year. Pro Football Focus' Zoltán Buday listed him as one of the best sevn bargains of 2025 free agency, as he got paid for three years at an average of $10.8 million a year but was PFF's 13th-ranked edge.

Mack, of course, would be welcomed back by fans but would find only a handful of Bears in he locker room from 2022.

An easier way to handle this edge need for Poles is a familiar face back in a Bears uniform for 2026, and the only real problem would be working out who wears No. 52, Mack or center Drew Dalman.

More Chicago Bears News

X: BearsOnSI

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.