Khalil Mack will be back with the Chargers for his 13th NFL season.
While the Los Angeles Chargers put together a better-than-expected regular season in 2025, in large part due to the heroics of Justin Herbert, but also because of a strong defense that was headlined by players like Khalil Mack, there were questions about whether Mack would be back in Los Angeles or even in the NFL at all with him set to be a free agent this summer. I mean, he has played 12 seasons. It would not have been out of the question if he decided to retire.
But as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mack will officially be back in a Chargers uniform next season for his 13th campaign. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler went on to report that he will be making $18 million guaranteed next season.
The nine-time Pro Bowl edge reached an agreement with the Chargers on a one-year deal on Saturday evening as he looks to tack on to his 36.5 sacks during his time in Los Angeles, which, interestingly enough, as pointed out by Schefter, is more than he had during his time with the Bears and only 4.5 away from having more than he had with the Raiders.
And so, with a new average Khalil Mack-level season in 2026, he will ultimately get to the point where his most productive years were in Los Angeles, which is pretty remarkable to consider given how great he was in both Las Vegas and Chicago.
And this is not the first big move the Chargers have made this offseason. It has been a solid early start to the offseason for them in bolstering this roster for success in 2026. And the next step for them is re-signing Odafe Oweh, which is, according to Schefter, a priority as well.