Khalil Mack is one of the biggest names on the free-agent market this offseason and the LA Chargers undoubtedly want to bring him back. The veteran edge rusher will return to play in 2025 after a brief retirement scare to win a Super Bowl.
Mack's return to Los Angeles is not guaranteed. As much as the team wants to bring him back, Mack has the right to sign with any team in free agency and could be lured away by a team with higher perceived title odds.
Mack's value in free agency is arguably even higher after the entire NFL world watched the Philadelphia Eagles solve the Kansas City Chiefs with defensive line play in the Super Bowl. However, Pro Football Focus still projects Mack to receive a manageable contract for the Chargers.
PFF (which is usually fairly accurate with its projections) projects Mack to sign a two-year, $45 million contract with $40 million guaranteed. That might seem steep for someone who will be 34 next season but it is in the Chargers' price range. In fact, the Chargers have an obvious move to make this projected contract even more affordable.
Chargers have to cut Joey Bosa to afford this projected Khalil Mack contract
Technically speaking, the Chargers could afford to re-sign Mack at this price with Joey Bosa still on the books. With some of the money naturally coming via a signing bonus, Mack's cap on this projected contract would likely be in the $16-20 million range.
That being said, Bosa's cap hit next season is over $36 million and the Chargers are not in a position to spend over $50 million in cap space on two edge rushers. If Bosa was still playing at a high level that wouldn't be an issue but he has not been playing at a high level for several years now.
Bosa has reverted to being an average edge rusher who has not put together a full season since 2019 (although he played 16 of 17 games in 2021). Bosa has missed 23 games the last three seasons and has recorded 14 combined sacks in that timeframe. That is not worth a $36 million cap hit.
The Chargers would free up $25.36 million in cap space by cutting or trading Bosa before June 1. Swinging a trade is easier said than done given his cap hit but crazier things have happened. Either way, the Chargers have an out to get rid of Bosa and create cap space in the process.
By doing so, the Chargers would essentially be paying for Mack with the saved cap space created by cutting ties with Bosa. This would essentially be a one-for-one swap next season, which just about every Chargers fan would support.
The Chargers should probably wait until Mack agrees to a contract to cut Bosa just to avoid losing out on both edge rushers. But as soon as pen hits paper, especially at that price, the next move for the Chargers will be to part ways with Bosa.