The Bears gave up a haul of assets to land outside linebacker Khalil Mack in 2018 and he was exactly the game-changer they needed that season. Since then, though, his production hasn’t been quite in line with what he’s been paid.
That, along with the Bears’ salary-cap nightmare in the recent offseason, prompted a trade call from the Raiders. Las Vegas inquired about trading to reacquire Mack, but the Bears turned them down, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reported.
After trading two first-round picks for Mack, the Bears signed him to a six-year, $141 million contract extension. They restructured that deal this offseason rather than trade him. The reworked contract lowered his cap hit to $14.6 million this season. It spikes to $30.2 million next season if they don’t restructure.
Mack, 30, earned his third all-pro selection in 2018 with 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and an interception.
The Raiders’ call was worth a shot. As the Bears clawed to get under the salary cap, they released veteran cornerback Kyle Fuller and left tackle Charles Leno to clear about $20 million in space.
