2 players the Chargers should cut for cap space (and 4 they won't)

The Chargers won't cut Khalil Mack.

This is one that I could potentially get on board with. If the Chargers did decide to cut Khalil Mack and draft a high-round edge prospect to replace him it would not be the worst idea in the world. After all, Mack has a massive cap hit and is only going to be a year older next season.

Mack has the second-largest cap hit at $27.4 million and if the Chargers cut him they would free up $18.4 million in cap space. That alone is almost enough to get the Chargers out of the negative as it pertains to the 2023 cap.

That being said, Mack is a Brandon Staley guy and there is no chance that he is going anywhere with Staley still in town. Plus, Tom Telesco is not the kind of general manager that can admit when someone is a sunk cost and potentially move on.

Instead, Telesco will look at the fact that the Chargers spent a second-round pick on Mack and are already slated to pay him at least $9 million next season anyway. With those two factors in mind, Telesco and Staley will both be against moving on from Mack.

Next spring it is a different conversation though. Mack will have a $27.75 million cap hit in 2024 with only $4.5 million in dead money if he is cut. He might not be a candidate this year, but Mack will almost definitely be cut ahead of 2024.