The Chicago Bears and Khalil Mack appear to be a match many want to see, and the smoke around the situation continues to build. However, there is a significant roadblock to that coming to fruition.
Another noteworthy name continues to gain steam as a potential target as well.
“They have a need on the edge, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them add some secondary help as well. Khalil Mack is a name that, obviously, we discussed,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on “Big Day” on November 3. “The problem with that is Joe Hortiz, the general manager for the Chargers, has shown no indication that he wants to sell at all.
“They like how Khalil Mack has helped the young edges and helped the locker room. It’s bad there. They do not want to give up on the season.”
Khalil Mack, Fellow Former Bears Pro Bowler Linked to Trade Deadline Return
Bears Linked to Khalil Mack & Nahshon Wright Before Trade Deadline
The Chargers are 0-7 on the season, and another loss could be the final straw for them to finally start making some changes. Super Bowl champion and former NFL scout Bucky Brooks listed Mack among the potential trade candidates that could help contenders.
He also listed the Bears among the team fits for Mack.
“Mack remains a viable threat off the edge with three sacks and six quarterback hits through six games,” Brooks wrote on October 30. “As a rugged pass rusher with heavy hands and a knack for getting home, the 13th-year pro is the perfect mercenary for a playoff contender looking to beef up the bullpen for a title run.”
The Bears signaled they were all-in with their trade for Simmons. It would be unsurprising to see them part with a late-round draft pick if it secured them another potential difference-maker.
“The other interesting one is Nahshon Wright,” Rapoport said. “He was with the Bears last year, he is with the Jets, and he is really not playing. Could that be a name to watch as well, just for some depth? I do not believe Ryan Poles is done.”
Both name drops came off as more speculative than anything concrete.
Still, just as is the case with Mack, there are others who continue to connect the dots between a return to the Bears for Wright before the trade deadline.
“At this point, it would be surprising if he’s still on the roster after the deadline. The Jets signed Wright because of his propensity for forcing turnovers (five interceptions) last year,” The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt wrote on October 28. “He hasn’t played a single defensive snap this season and has often been a healthy scratch. Would the Bears want him back?”
Wright signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Jets in free agency this past offseason.
That was after a breakout season with the Bears that resulted in his first career Pro Bowl selection. Their previous action suggest that they would be reluctant to part with any meaningful draft capital to bring him back. Still, the idea continues to float around.
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