Los Angeles Chargers get some bad news on Khalil Mack’s trip to free agency

The idea the Los Angeles Chargers want Khalil Mack back in free agency isn’t shocking—one can just look up any Jim Harbaugh interview ever since his arrival with the team.

But actually getting Mack back could be more difficult than anticipated.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler went on SportsCenter this week (h/t B/R’s Zach Bachar) and noted that while the Chargers want Mack back, he’s "going to have a robust market" once it opens.

The Chargers avoided the Mack retirement scare, only to see a blossoming free-agency market for a 33-year-old pass-rusher who battled injuries last year.

Not ideal. Those Chargers are flush with cap space, sitting on roughly $63.4 million before any other cap-saving moves. The most obvious has direct ties to Mack – parting ways with Joey Bosa would free up roughly $25 million more, which the Chargers could shift over to Mack.

But with a “robust” market on the way, a bidding war could jump the price even more. Tack on the fact that Mack might consider some of the participants as giving him a better chance at winning a championship before his career comes to an end.

There’s no easy way out of this situation, either. When Mack inked his restructured deal last offseason, the Chargers agreed on a no-tag clause. Barring an extension soon, Mack will hit the open market, where anything could happen.

Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack — Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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