Khalil Mack, Chargers
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Pass-rusher Khalil Mack of the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Detroit Lions have at least one paramount roster need this offseason at pass-rusher and minimal cash to fill it, but there might be a happy medium/perfect fit waiting for them on the periphery of free agency.
Pricey trades for both Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby have been/are potentially on the table in Detroit, but Aaron Schatz of ESPN suggested on Thursday, February 26 that the Lions keep it simpler by pursuing Khalil Mack in free agency.
“The Lions’ top need is finding pass-rush help for Aidan Hutchinson. So why not aim for an established veteran at that position? Despite sitting out five games in 2025 because of an elbow injury, Mack still finished with 5.5 sacks and 28 pressures,” Schatz wrote. “Detroit isn’t swimming in cap space, but it should be able to convince Mack to take a pay cut so he can chase a Super Bowl ring.”
Mack, now 35 years old, is coming off of a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers worth $18 million. Spotrac projects his market value at $18.4 million on a new one-year contract in 2026. Detroit is currently $12.16 million in the red with regards to the upcoming season’s salary cap.
Mack is a nine-time Pro Bowler and has earned All-Pro honors four times in his 12-year NFL career. He won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award for the 2016 campaign and has tallied 113 sacks and 148 tackles for loss across 179 games played.
Lions Recently Considered Aggressive Trade Offer for Maxx Crosby
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GettyLas Vegas Raiders pass-rusher Maxx Crosby.
Mack spent the first four years of his career with the Raiders organization, while Crosby has been with that team since joining the league seven years ago.
However, Crosby has grown disillusioned with the franchise now based in Las Vegas, particularly after it held him out of the final two games of last season against his wishes and then fired another head coach in Pete Carroll, this time after just one year at the helm.
Crosby has expressed his desire to depart the desert, while GM John Spytek, new head coach Klint Kubiak and minority owner Tom Brady have all spent time with the five-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher in attempts to change his mind.
Detroit had plans to take advantage of Crosby’s unhappiness by coming in with a strong offer for the defensive end as recently as the start of the combine last week.
“General manager Brad Holmes was more than willing to be aggressive to meet the trade demands of the Las Vegas Raiders, which included parting ways with two-first round draft picks,” John Maakaron of ON SI wrote Friday. “Detroit’s entire coaching staff and front office were in agreement that adding Crosby would have been a move that would instantly put the team in serious contention to win the Super Bowl.”
However, the Lions’ interest has cooled some in the wake of legal issues pertaining to cornerback Terrion Arnold, a recent first-round pick (2024).
“League sources [expressed] the recent developments with cornerback Terrion Arnold will likely put a pause on Detroit’s willingness to part ways with early round picks, as the team may now need to use one on a cornerback in the not too distant future,” Maakaron added.
Lions Will Have Harder Time Paying Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby Than Khalil Mack
Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett is focused on winning.
GettyCleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
Mike Tannenbaum of ESPN recently suggested a blockbuster trade involving Detroit and Garrett, who would probably cost even more than Crosby to land in a trade.
However, Detroit’s issues in bringing in a player the caliber of Garrett or Crosby is less even about the draft capital the Lions would have to surrender and more about the ability to absorb the contract.
“In terms of who says no to the Detroit move — the salary cap,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano said in response to Tannenbaum’s trade pitch. “I think it sounds great, the idea of Myles Garrett in Detroit, but I don’t know how they pay for it.”
Four draft picks from the Lions’ 2023 class — safety Brian Branch, linebacker Jack Campbell, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta — are all extension-eligible this offseason and will all command somewhere near top-of-market deals for their respective positions.
Khalil Mack isn’t in his prime, like Garrett and Crosby, and he wouldn’t be cheap. That said, Mack is a less expensive and shorter-term play who, if healthy, could provide a meaningful contribution to the Lions’ defense next season relative to what Detroit might expect from Garrett or Crosby if the team traded for either of them.