Amid the smoldering wreckage that is the 2026 Los Angeles Chargers, there exists a single glimmer of hope: edge rusher Khalil Mack, who's defied Father Time to post three sacks and 10 QB pressures (tied for 10th and ninth in the NFL, respectively) through his team's first four games. It's clear that he still has plenty left in the tank at age 35; it's also clear that, as a 35-year-old who will be hitting free agency again next spring, his primary value to an 0-4 team is as trade bait.
And that should be very, very interesting to a number of would-be contenders which could use some extra pass-rush juice — including one team that Mack used to call home. The Chargers would no doubt love to get a haul in return for their best trade asset, but he's also an aging free-agent-to-be, so he should be available for something like a high Day 3 pick. Which teams are best positioned to meet that price? Here are three offers that the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears would be crazy not to consider.
San Francisco 49ers
The Niners' 4-0 start shouldn't mask the fact that they've managed just six sacks on the season so far, only three of which have come from defensive ends in the wake of Nick Bosa's injury issues. The Dolphins, Cardinals and Broncos are not exactly an offensive gauntlet; San Francisco shouldn't let early-season success lull it into a false sense of security.
Mack would have a transformative effect on this front seven, forming one of the better duos in the league once Bosa finally returns (fingers crossed on that front). He would also provide some much-needed Bosa insurance, as we all saw in last year's playoffs how hard it is to mount a Super Bowl run without necessary depth.
Buffalo Bills
Deone Walker and Greg Rousseau have been early-season stars for Buffalo, but this is still a unit sorely in need of some much juice on pass-rushing downs — just cast your mind back to their late loss to the New England Patriots last Sunday if you'd like proof. That was true even before Ed Oliver went down with an injury, and it's even more true now.
The reality is that Buffalo simply doesn't have the horses come crunch time; outside of Rousseau, who's been a one-man wrecking crew so far this season, Bradley Chubb is the only other Bill with more than one sack so far, and he's at 1.5. Just relying on Rousseau to be great won't be enough; how many times have we seen this Bills pass rush falter late in playoff games because they don't have enough juice to threaten with four? Mack clearly has something left in the tank and would be an invaluable partner for Rousseau against Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.
Chicago Bears
How about this for a story-book ending? With Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo complementing Montez Sweat, EDGE probably isn't the biggest need on this Bears defense as it gears up for the stretch run. But it is certainly a need; all due respect to Booker and Odeyingbo, they don't have track records that suggest they should be trusted to be the second-best pass rusher on a Super Bowl contender.
Mack would instantly give this defense more experience, credibility and pass-rush juice, all of which it sorely needs. And really, every year with Ben Johnson at the helm and Caleb Williams on his rookie deal deserves an all-in push, even if Ryan Poles doesn't have the greatest history when it comes to spending draft capital on defensive improvements. Chicago knows all too well what it's like to have Mack closing out games at Soldier Field in December and January.
Add us as a preferred source on Google