5 best team fits for Khalil Mack in NFL free agency

Linebacker Khalil Mack will be a free agent this offseason, and the soon-to-be 34-year-old recently said he would return to play for a 12th season. His last stop was with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he had 31 sacks over the last three seasons. Here, we give the five best team fits for Mack heading into next year.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers struggled to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback last season. They did not blitz very often, but when they did, it was extremely effective. They generated 45 sacks, the eighth-most in the NFL. Linebacker Rashan Gary was seemingly non-existent all season long. Defensive linemen Lukas Van Ness and Kenny Clark also struggled. Mack can come in and solve the problem of getting sacks. Pair him alongside a young stud linebacker in Edgerrin Cooper, and it could open up the entire defense.

Los Angeles Chargers

If he does return to Los Angeles, it would not be a surprise. As mentioned earlier, he accumulated a total of 31 sacks, 17 in 2023 alone. The duo of Mack and Joey Bosa has wreaked havoc. With the AFC West being extremely competitive, it would be a big blow for the Chargers to lose Mack in free agency.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers were ravaged by injuries all season long, especially on defense. The biggest name to keep an eye on this offseason is linebacker Dre Greenlaw. He is a free agent when the new league year begins in March. If he ends up leaving San Francisco, Mack would be a good replacement.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay will potentially need to replace one of their top linebackers this offseason: LaVonte David. David was the leading tackler for the Buccaneers defense with 122 and had 5.5 sacks this year. He is an unrestricted free agent in March. Should he leave, Mack would be a potential fit for the job, given his elite production as a pass rusher, which Tampa Bay will need. As a team last season, they generated 41 sacks. In their championship season of 2020, they ranked in the top five in sacks with 48.

Philadelphia Eagles

As great as the Eagles have been, it would not hurt to bring in one more experienced veteran to help the defense out. They already have a stud defensive lineman in Jalen Carter, but that might not be enough in the long run. Linebacker Josh Sweat led the defense with eight sacks this season. Adding a pass rusher like Mack will give them a threat at every level: defensive line, linebackers and the secondary, which is where they have been outstanding this year.