Bears: Could Chicago trade Khalil Mack for Russell Wilson?

If quarterback Russell Wilson were to be traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Chicago Bears, could outside linebacker Khalil Mack be in the package going the other way?

Should Russell Wilson be dealt to the Chicago Bears, Khalil Mack could be one of the trade assets heading to the Seattle Seahawks. Player-for-player trades in the NFL are a rarity, but here is why this potential blockbuster deal could happen.

For Wilson, he wants to leave a defensive-minded culture in Seattle to a place where he could sling it, potentially in Chicago. While Pete Carroll is the more proven of the two head coaches, Matt Nagy is a former quarterback himself. Even if the weather is less than ideal in The Windy City, keep in mind Wilson throws the ball in the rain professionally and spent a year in Madison, Wisconsin.

For Mack, he would be going to a culture that prioritizes defense. Not only would he play for one of the best defensive-minded head coaches of his era in Carroll, but Mack would be reunited with his former Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. Mack was arguably the NFL’s best defensive player when starring for Norton on Jack Del Rio’s Raiders staff from 2015 to 2017.

What team would win a potential Russell Wilson for Khalil Mack trade?

Initially, you would have to believe the Bears getting Wilson would be the big winner here. They would be trading for the best quarterback to ever play for Chicago since Sid Luckman. Wilson has shown an uncanny ability to carry his team to the postseason just about every year, despite the declining talent around him. However, the Seahawks are in an infinitely better position to reload.

Though Mack-for-Wilson straight up could work, Wilson is a quarterback. It means the Seahawks could ask for a future picks down the line to help revamp their roster. The best part for Seattle is they would no longer be paying top dollar to a franchise quarterback. They can draft another one or ride with a stop-gap for the next year or so, as well as add another defensive piece.

A Mack-for-Wilson deal can work, but both parties better be ready for what they are getting into.