The 33-year-old and former Defensive Player of the Year (2016) is set to be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. The 11-year veteran has 107.5 career sacks, so he is going to be a highly sought-after free agent.
Here are three potential landing spots for the veteran pass-rusher.
Philadelphia Eagles
Something that could lure Mack to Philadelphia could be its defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Fangio was on the Chicago Bears coaching staff when Mack had an All-Pro debut season in 2018.
Heading into their NFC Championship matchup with division-rival Washington on Sunday, the Eagles have the best defense in the NFL (17.6 PPG), per TeamRankings. One area Philadelphia could use a boost is its pass rush. The Eagles are 14th in sacks per game (2.5) this season, so getting someone like Mack, who has recorded his fair share of sacks throughout his career, would strengthen the defense even more.
Throw in the fact the Eagles already have Pro Bowler Jalen Carter at defensive tackle and second-year linebacker Nolan Smith, who has produced 6.5 sacks this season. Mack would make the Eagles even more dangerous and likely maintain their status as the league’s best defense.
Green Bay Packers
Following their disappointing three-game losing streak to end the 2024 season, the Packers could use someone like Mack on a defense that was sixth in the NFL in points per game (20 PPG) in 2024.
Mack’s ability to get to the QB would make a solid defense that much more dangerous and pair him with defensive end Rashan Gary, who recorded 7.5 sacks this season.
DE Lukas Van Ness offers Green Bay a lot of promise after producing seven sacks so far in his two seasons. While Green Bay only allowed 209.9 pass yards per game in 2024, it struggled at times to consistently pressure QBs.
This would also give GM Brian Gutekunst a do-over after being outbid for Mack by the Chicago Bears in 2018. Being in the latter stages of his career, this would put Mack on a contending team and bolster its pass rush, which seems like a potential win-win for the veteran player and the franchise.
Los Angeles Chargers
There is no guarantee that Mack will leave Los Angeles. Chargers GM Joe Hortiz and head coach Jim Harbaugh made it clear at their end-of-season news conference that they intend to re-sign Mack, assuming he decides to return for another season.
Mack even said he believed his best chance to win was with the Chargers saying, “You know you always have a chance to win. Yeah, that’s a no-brainer” when referring to Herbert, safety Derwin James and Harbaugh.
With James spearheading the second-best defense in the NFL (18.5 PPG) and a talented QB in Herbert leading the way, it is fair to wonder if Mack will even depart from Los Angeles.
