The Jets hope that Khalil Mack doesn't give them a reminder Sunday of why they wanted him so badly not so long ago.
Gang Green was prepared to go all-in for the perennial Pro Bowl outside linebacker before the Raiders ultimately traded him to the Bears.
How much did the Jets covet the game-wrecking Mack?
Well, the Jets' aggressive offer for Mack included a 2019 first-round pick and 2020 second-round pick, according to sources. The package included additional compensation, but their willingness to part with those two premium picks (especially considering that they don't have a 2019 second-rounder) revealed how much they wanted him.
The Jets believed that the Raiders ultimately did not want to trade Mack to an AFC team. Oakland received two first-rounders from the Bears (2019 and 2020), a 2020 third-rounder and 2019 sixth-rounder in exchange for Mack, the Raiders' 2020 second-rounder and a 2020 conditional fifth-rounder.
The Jets were prepared to improve their baseline offer that included the 2019 first-rounder and 2020 second-rounder, but were never given the chance, according to sources.
The Raiders' thinking was simple: They were happy with Chicago's offer ... and more than happy to get Mack out of the conference. The Raiders did not engage in further discussions with the Jets after they thought Chicago had offered a good enough package.
In other words, Mack wasn't necessarily traded to the team that offered the most for his services. It was not a true open-bidding situation.
So, the Jets didn't fix their biggest defensive need.
Mack, who signed a blockbuster six-year, $141 million extension after the trade to become the highest paid defensive player in NFL history, has been a difference maker for his new team.
"He's more of a complete outside backer than most," Todd Bowles said. "There are fast ones, there are strong ones, but he can do all of the above. He can run around you. He can run over you. He can strip the ball. He can catch the ball. He can drop in coverage. He's a more complete player than a lot of players today."
Mack started off on fire with four sacks, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, one interception and a fumble recovery in his first four games with the Bears.
"We got to have some protections and runs that are going to attack him," offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates said Thursday. "And be creatively smart. We always have to know where he is. He plays on the right. He plays on the left. That's always a challenge."
Mack's ankle injury has appeared to hamper him in recent weeks. He has no sacks, no quarterback hits and just three tackles in the past two games. He rushed on only 18 snaps (two hurries) against the Patriots last week, according to Pro Football Focus. He dropped into coverage nearly half the time (16 snaps). The Jets, frankly, don't care about his lack of statistical production in the last two games.
"We expect to get the same player on Sunday _ the dominant player he's always been," Bowles said. "So, we just got to prepare."
