After weeks of speculation, the LA Chargers made it official. Khalil Mack is returning to Los Angeles for the 2025 season, signing a fully guaranteed one-year, $18 million contract to stay with the Bolts.
Several teams were reportedly in on Mack during free agency but the veteran edge rusher opted to remain in Los Angeles. There is speculation Mack received up to a three-year deal from other interested teams but he simply wanted to be a part of Jim Harbaugh's culture in LA.
Chargers fans needed this bit of good news after missing out on DK Metcalf and Davante Adams over the weekend. With one major checkpoint reached, the next move the Chargers make to bolster the defensive line couldn't be clearer.
Chargers should sign Za'Darius Smith to replace Joey Bosa after re-signing Khalil Mack
One signing at edge rusher is not going to be enough. The Chargers should look to bolster the room with another veteran option who can provide depth for the 2025 season as a stopgap option. That veteran should be Za'Darius Smith.
The Lions are releasing Smith after trading for him last season. It is likely Detroit did not think Smith's cap hit was not worth it with how he played last season. For a team like the Chargers with ample cap space, though, Smith makes sense.
It would be a win if the Chargers can sign Smith to a similar one-year, fully guaranteed contract. Smith shouldn't command as much money as Mack did and, realistically, should be available for $8-10 million a year.
If Smith were to sign for $8 million fully guaranteed then he and Mack would be have a combined cap hit of $26 million next season. Releasing Joey Bosa would have essentially paid for these two vets as the Bolts saved $25.3 by doing so.
Smith would essentially serve as a Bosa replacement if he were to join Mack and the Chargers next season. The 32-year-old veteran would actually be an upgrade from how Bosa has played in recent years.
Smith finished last season with 63 pressures and ranked seventh among all edge rushers in Pro Football Focus' pass rush productivity. Bosa, meanwhile, finished with 34 pressures and ranked 38th among the 63 edge rushers with at least 300 pass rush snaps.
Mack and Smith should both be put in positions where they can be part of a rotation to maximize their output at this stage of their careers. Being on the same team and having Tuli Tuipulotu and the rest of the Chargers' edge rusher room to share snaps will set both veterans up for success.
The Philadelphia Eagles showed how important it is to invest in the trenches. With the Chargers potentially pursuing an offensive option in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, signing Smith to a similar contract as Mack's makes all the sense in the world.