Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been trying to replace edge rusher Khalil Mack ever since he traded him in his first couple of months on the job. It’s time to bring him back.
The Bears have needed pass rushing all season, but they really need it now that defensive end Montez Sweat is suspended for two games and defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo is out with a quad injury. Teams serious about contending make moves to patch holes along the way, and the Bears should trade for Mack in time to play him Sunday against the Falcons.
A reunion has been on their radar for a while, but the Chargers prioritized keeping Mack by shedding salary elsewhere. Now the Chargers sit 0-5 heading into their game Sunday against the Chiefs and appear primed for a fire sale.
The price for Mack should be reasonable. The Bears would be on the hook for $5.8 million in salary-cap money and have $11.4 million available, according to Spotrac. Given that Mack is 35 and on an expiring contract, he likely could be had for a fourth- or fifth-round pick.
Mack had a career-high 17 sacks for the Chargers in 2023, then tapered off to a combined 11½ in the next two seasons. He has three in five games this season and is still in good enough shape to have played 71% of the Chargers’ defensive snaps.
The Bears could swing a little bigger and target Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat (no relation), but the cost will be higher in terms of trade compensation and pay.
Josh Sweat, who reportedly requested a trade in March, has one sack after posting 12 last season. He has two years and $47.2 million left on his contract after this season and, at 29, probably will want a hefty extension from his new team.
The Bears are more likely to bargain-shop leading up to the trade deadline Nov. 10, so a journeyman such as Commanders pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson (one sack) might be a budget-friendly target.
But Mack makes so much sense — and not merely for the price. He had nothing but good feelings toward the Bears while playing for them in 2018-21 and is exactly the right type of player for their locker room: a no-nonsense, relentless worker who is focused on chasing a championship.
In three transactions, he could prove to be exactly what the Bears needed at each point:
• When they believed their defense was on the verge of greatness in 2018, adding Mack solidified it.
• When Poles inherited a mess from predecessor Ryan Pace in 2022, dealing an injured Mack was crucial to correcting their salary-cap issues and restocking draft capital with a second-round pick.
• Now, at a relative steal, he can ignite a pass rush that has been quiet since his departure.
The Bears need help immediately. They can’t wait for the trade deadline.
Coach Ben Johnson said little about Montez Sweat’s suspension Wednesday, other than that he’s disappointed to lose him and that Sweat won’t appeal it. Of Odeyingbo, who has three sacks, he said he likely will miss games but isn’t going on injured reserve.
Johnson mentioned there are some defensive linemen at the bottom of the roster that the Bears ‘‘feel really strongly about.’’ But if that was true, they already would be playing significantly.
They’ve known all along that Sweat, Odeyingbo, Austin Booker and the rest of the group weren’t formidable. That’s why they checked in with the Raiders about superstar Maxx Crosby when he was on the trade block during the offseason, though the bidding quickly went beyond their means.
Mack almost certainly wouldn’t be available if the Chargers weren’t winless, so that’s a break for the Bears. They can’t turn it down.