The LA Chargers are in a precarious situation with Khalil Mack this offseason. Mack is coming off one of, if not the, best seasons of his career as he was one of the best edge rushers in the entire sport. But on the other hand, Mack is also going to be 33 years old next season and is going to have a cap hit of $38.5 million; the largest on the team and the second-largest non-quarterback cap hit in the entire league.
If the Chargers were under the salary cap then it would not matter but that is not the situation. Los Angeles is $45.8 million over the cap and needs to create space. If the team trades or cuts Mack before June 1 then it can free up $23.25 million.
Trading Mack after this kind of season can be tough but history says that edge rushers can regress quickly in their 30s. It is better to be a year early than a year late with a trade. Plus, six months ago a Mack trade did not even seem possible because of his age and salary. Now, after a great year, a Mack trade is certainly in the cards.
Any team trading for Mack will be taking on his $17.55 million base salary, which is an absorbable figure for teams with cap space. With that in mind, we can start to build out a list of potential Mack trade suitors.
The Chargers could trade Khalil Mack to the Lions
Brad Spielberger of PFF pitched this idea as one of four trades that could shake up the 2024 offseason and it makes sense from both sides. The Detroit Lions would be getting a veteran edge rusher coming off a great year to build on what the team started last season while the Chargers can get a mid-round pick in return.
In Spielberger's deal, the Chargers are only getting a fourth-round pick back in return for Mack. This may seem absurdly low to some fans, but in reality, this is probably the right price for one year of Mack at the inflated cap number that he is currently at.
All that being said, Aidan Hutchinson and the rest of the Lions defense would benefit greatly from having Mack in the locker room. If Mack is going to be traded then the best-case scenario for Chargers fans would be to see him go to an NFC contender. The Lions are that.
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