Falcons Named Potential Destination For Chargers’ Star Pass Rusher

The Atlanta Falcons are in dire need of some help with their pass rush, and the Los Angeles Chargers may have the solution for them.

Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department names Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack as a top trade target for the Falcons, which makes plenty of sense for both sides.

Los Angeles is currently mired in a miserable salary cap situation, and Mack is slated to earn $17.55 million in base salary next season. Cutting ties with Mack could have the Chargers save some money, and with the Falcons having a modest chunk of cap space, they could absorb Mack and be perfectly fine.

Mack certainly wouldn’t come cheaply, however.

The star pass rusher racked up a career-high 17 sacks to go along with 74 tackles, five forced fumbles and 10 passes defended in what was an incredible 2023 resurgence.

Prior to this season, Mack had posted four straight years of single-digit sacks.

The 32-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Buffalo, was originally selected by the Oakland Raiders with the fifth overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.

He spent the first four years of his career with the Raiders, making three trips to the Pro Bowl and earning three First-Team All-Pro selections.

Mack was then traded to the Chicago Bears in 2018 and proceeded to spend then next four seasons there, making three more Pro Bowl appearances and notching First-Team All-Pro honors once.

The Bears would ultimately deal Mack to the Chargers in 2022.

Mack has long been one of the league’s premier pass rushers, and back in 2016, he won the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Still, Los Angeles needs to clear some money, and Khalil Mack seems like a rather obvious candidate to be on the move. The Falcons finished in the bottom third of the league in sacks this past season, so adding him to their front seven seems ideal.