The Oakland Raiders mucked up the Khalil Mack situation, and now it appears they are set to unload him. Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport are reporting the Raiders are trading their star pass rusher to the Chicago Bears. A deal is not finalized, but the Bears received a window to start negotiating a contract with Mack, according to Ian Rapoport.
Mack is entering the fifth year option of his rookie contract, and has been holding out for a new deal. There had been no discussions since early in the year, and there was no indication this was going to end. Reggie McKenzie might have wanted to do more, but the Raiders are Jon Gruden’s team at this point. It is absurd to trade away the best player on your team, but what are you gonna do?
The 49ers had been mentioned as a potential destination, but given the draft picks and extension needed to get it done, it’s not a big surprise they passed. Assuming a deal gets done, the 49ers will now face Mack at Levi’s Stadium in Week 16 instead of Week 9. They are adding him to a defense that has improved considerably in talent, and has Vic Fangio ready to put it all together. The Bears will get a lot more interesting if they get this done.