The Los Angeles Chargers may have to trade their way out of salary cap trouble this offseason, and it sounds like rival teams would be more than happy to take one star player off of their hands.
Multiple teams are keeping an eye on Khalil Mack to see if the star pass-rusher becomes available, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Mack has a salary cap hit of around $38 million next season, but that number would drop down to $15 million if the Chargers traded him.
“(Mack) is one in particular that I know multiple teams I’ve spoken to have an eye on because he had the 17 sacks a year ago,” Fowler said Sunday, via Timothy Rapp of Bleacher Report. “Huge cap hit and (the Chargers) can save $20-plus million on their cap if they were to trade or move on. Maybe there’s a trade possibility for a team in need of a pass-rusher and there will be many in that market around free agency.”
Mack had a career-high 17 sacks last season. That was the first time he posted double-digit sacks since he was with the Chicago Bears in 2018.
The only thing that might negatively impact Mack’s trade market is that he turned 33 on Feb. 22, but he is clearly still one of the best defensive playmakers in the NFL.
The Chargers are roughly $20 million over the salary cap, according to the latest figures from Spotrac. Mack is not the only star player in L.A. who will hear his name come up in trade rumors this offseason.
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