While the Los Angeles Chargers won 11 games for the second straight season, they were also bounced from the playoffs in the Wild Card Round for the second straight year, this time taking an embarrassing 16-3 defeat to the New England Patriots this past Sunday night in Foxborough.
As such, the full focus of the organization turns to the offseason, which is already off to an interesting start, as the team has parted ways with offensive coordinator Jesse Minter and offensive line coach Mike Devlin.
In addition to finding replacements for those two (and perhaps defensive coordinator Jesse Minter if he lands a head coaching gig), general manager Joe Hortiz and head coach Jim Harbaugh must also deal with the fact that the Bolts have nearly 30 players set to hit some sort of free agency.
One such player, of course, is nine-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Khalil Mack, who contemplated retirement ahead of the 2025 campaign but chose to return on a one-year, $18 million contract. Mack, who turns 35 on February 22, told the media on Monday that he's going to take some time to ponder his future before making any decisions on whether to suit up for a 13th NFL season in 2026.
But superstar safety Derwin James may have already given the world a clue as to which direction Mack might be leaning.
Derwin James took to IG to say he's going to miss working out with Khalil Mack
Somewhat lost in the shuffle of the Roman chaos on Tuesday was an Instagram story from James in which he posted a picture of himself in the gym with a caption that read, "Week 19 grind!! days imma miss with @fiftydeuce #170s #VIPClub."
For those unaware, the @fiftydeuce handle belongs to Mack, obviously referring to the jersey number he's worn throughout his NFL career. So, did James just reveal that Mack is leaning toward retirement? Now, one could look at it like James is disappointed about the loss and doesn't like the fact that he won't be at the team facility working out with his teammate of three years for several months.
But those who know anything about social media know how most are taking the post.
If Mack does decide he wants to suit up next season, one would assume the Chargers would welcome him back, as he's still producing at a high level, earning a 79.2 overall PFF grade in 2025, ranking 16th among all NFL edge rushers. And he certainly didn't sound like someone who's ready to hang up his cleats just yet.
"Can't live with ifs and what-ifs," Mack said on Monday. "Turn that page and look forward to getting better in all facets of the game. The chips fall where they may without talking too far ahead. Try to stay where your feet at. One of those things where you're pissed off, but what happened was supposed to happen.
"Not trying to make that decision right now like I've almost done before. Trying to stay as present as possible, stay prayed up, make a decision based on how I'm feeling and how my family is feeling, the vibes. If the vibes are high, the decisions will be made. Just figuring it out day by day."
Now, we just wait to see if Mack and James will ever be back in the gym together.