After the Los Angeles Chargers lost to the Houston Texans in the first round of the playoffs, there were major question about Khalil Mack's future with the team.
He's still posting solid production, but he's aging rapidly, and the Chargers had so many other free agents they needed to retain.
Joey Bosa was also slated to enter free agency which put the team in a conundrum knowing they couldn't lose both of their edge rushers.
Once the former Defensive Rookie of the year was released, it indicated that Mack would likely be back. ESPN reported that the former Bear was re-signing on Monday morning and he was outwardly enthusiastic about the deal.
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The 2016 Defensive Player of the Year was interviewed but the Chargers team website and conveyed supreme confidence in the partnership and the team in general.
Mack would go on to say that there is "unfinished business" with this group and "I've got something I'm going to finish here."
For a franchise that's been mired in disappointment for most of its existence, fans and everyone usually is waiting for the sky to fall. However, Mack aims to alter the team's reputation and fortunes by instilling belief in them.
This attitude is one of the many reasons general manager Joe Hortiz decided to bring him back into the fold.
The five-time All-Pro has been described as a natural leader whose positivity, mentorship, and experience has been pivotal in building up one of the best young defenses in the NFL.
The Chargers had a nice bounce back season after finishing 5-12 in 2023, a season that saw them reeling from the third largest blown lead in playoff history.
They finished 10-7, but their success was essentially nullified with a crushing 32-12 loss in the playoffs.
The 2024 Chargers were a team with copious amounts of young talent on both sides of the ball, so it's fair to say they underperformed. Justin Herbert played through injuries, the wide receiver group outside of Ladd McConkey were unreliable, and the blocking was pitiful once again.
There were tons of factors that held the team back from reaching their ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl, so Mack is justified in believing he has unfinished business
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This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 6:41 PM.