Could Khalil Mack's veteran disruption elevate the Green Bay Packers' already potent pass rush alongside Micah Parsons? Explore the veteran's fit.
There was a time in the not-soo-distant past when the Green Bay Packers pairing edge-rushers Micah Parsons and Khalil Mack together would have been deemed unfair.
In fact, it would have arguably been the greatest pass-rushing duo in NFL history.
Parsons is still in his prime, even coming off a torn ACL heading into the 2026 season, but Mack, for as good as he's been, is about to be 35 years old.
It's one thing for pocket-passing quarterbacks like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers to play into their 40s. It's something else alltogether though, for pass-rushers, where quick-twitch athleticism and get-off speed are much more imporitant that cerebrial qualities.
Unfortunately, as anyone who has gotten older will tell you, that athleticism tends to fall off a cliff once you get into that 35-to-40 range, and that's not all that different for professionals either.
Mack is not in his prime anymore (respectfully), but he's still coming off a 2025 season that saw him notch 32 tackles (19 solo), 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and seven stuffs.
He can still be incredibly disruptive. Now, imagine putting him across a defensive line from Parsons.
We're not talking all-time duo at this point, but we're still talking about a feared pass-rush -- especailly when you add in a healthy Devonte Wyatt in the middle and an elite athlete at linebacker in Edgerrin Cooper. That's not even to mention Quay Walker, whom the Packers must find a way to bring back.
It's an interesting idea, isn't it? Perhaps that's why the good folks at PFF believe the Packers need to pursue Mack in free agency this offseason.
"Whether or not Mack returns for another season is still up in the air, but his productivity isn’t in question. The former Charger produced a 79.2 overall PFF grade last season with a 77.2 PFF run-defense grade and a 13.2% pass-rush win rate. The soon-to-be 35-year-old could bolster Green Bay’s pass-rushing rotation, which may or may not include Rashan Gary in 2026," Bradley Locker wrote.
Frankly, forget Gary. Cut him pre-June 1 and save the $10 million.
The Packers have Lukas Van Ness on a rookie deal for one more season. Make him go earn that team option in 2027 while Parsons (likely) misses the first few weeks of the season. Green Bay has two interesting young pass-rushers in Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver, who deserve a few more chances to get after the quarterback in 2026. They could also bring back Kingsley Enagbare for cheap as a free agent.
That group, plus Parsons, is already an intrugiing arsenal for new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to work with.
Throw in Mack on a one-year deal, and now you're cooking with grease.
You'd have to convince him to play for one more season, and then you'd have to convince him to come to Green Bay.
The chance to play alongside Parsons may be too much to pass up on, though. At the very least, PFF is right. The Packers should pursue Mack.
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