Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa
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Los Angeles Chargers edge rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa.
It’s not a reach to say that when the Baltimore Ravens take the field in 2026, we might not recognize the product on the field. And that’s a good thing.
That change might be easiest to see right away on the defensive side of the ball, where former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator and 1st year Ravens head coach Jesse Minter will be calling the plays.
Who Minter will be calling plays for on defense is still up in the air, and ESPN thinks the Ravens should move to reunite Minter with Chargers edge rusher and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack, calling the position the “Biggest Need” for Baltimore in free agency.
From ESPN: “Last year, the Ravens recorded 30 sacks, their fewest in 15 years. Last season also marked the first time since 1996 that Baltimore didn’t have an edge rusher with more than 4.5 sacks. Plus, their two most experienced outside linebackers — Kyle Van Noy and Dre’Mont Jones — are free agents. Could Baltimore reunite Khalil Mack with new Ravens coach Jesse Minter?”
Free Agency Prediction Loves Ravens for Khalil Mack
The Ringer’s Austin Gayle put the 35-year-old Mack at No. 33 in his Top 50 free agent rankings for 2026 with a prediction for him to land with the Ravens on a 1-year, $14 million contract.
Mack, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, is a 9-time Pro Bowler and 5-time NFL All-Pro. He also has approximately $218.3 million in career earnings.
“Mack missed four games with an elbow injury and had to adjust to playing with a brace in the second half of the season,” Gayle wrote. “Still, Mack is the same tough, high-effort player he’s been his entire 12-year career, and when healthy, his pass rush production always has been among the best in football, even as he’s aged. If he still thinks he has enough in the tank, Mack should be able to sign a one-year flier with a contender for around $14 million.”
Decent Numbers Despite Injury Issues in 2025
Mack played 2025 on a 1-year, $18 million free agent contract and had 32 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 6 TFL in 12 games. Those numbers would have made him the Ravens’ best pass rusher in 2025.
“Although the former Defensive Player of the Year is mulling retirement, Khalil Mack is still playing at a high level,” PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote. “An injury early in the 2025 season restricted his snap volume, but upon his return in Week 7, he produced an 84.9 PFF overall grade, seventh best among qualifying edge defenders. Should Mack decide to play another year in pursuit of a championship, he will have no shortage of suitors.”
Khalil Mack’s Stunning Lack of Playoff Success
Mack could 1 day be headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame once his career ends, but maybe just not on the 1st ballot. The thing holding him back is a stunning lack of postseason success.
In 12 seasons, Mack is 0-6 in playoff games, and it’s hard to call someone one of the greatest defensive players of their generation if they’ve never won a single, solitary playoff game.
“The individual accolades are pretty cool,” Mack said in January 2025. “But the ultimate team goal is the Super Bowl. That is what my career is missing.”