Bears loosely linked to reunion with projected $7 million nine-time Pro Bowler

Could a reunion be in store for the Chicago Bears on the defensive side of the ball this season?

Though the Bears were merely middle-of-the-pack in sacks this season compared to the second-worst a year ago, it's clear that the pass rush is still in need of an upgrade. And it just so happens that a former Bears superstar is available, potentially on a cheap deal.

Khalil Mack, the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a superstar for the Bears from 2018 to 2021, just finished a three-year tenure with the Los Angeles Chargers. He's professed his desire to keep playing, and if the Bears like the idea, he could find himself right back where he was three seasons ago.

On Thursday, Luis C. Medina of Bleacher Nation discussed the rationale behind a potential Bears-Mack reunion at length: 

"Chicago (1) needs to upgrade at the defensive end position, (2) has an estimated $66 million in available cap space (h/t OverTheCap) to work with this offseason, and (3) could be aggressive in addressing its needs in the trenches on both sides of the ball," Medina wrote.

"Additionally, a Mack reunion story would be fun to follow. I am a sucker for fun stories. And if the Bears can pull off a move that could be equal parts practical and popular, then they should do it."

Mack, a nine-time Pro Bowler and the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, doesn't quite strike the same fear into the hearts of opposing offenses that he used to. Yet, he still made the Pro Bowl in 2024, racking up six sacks and 15 quarterback hits.

Spotrac projects the 33-year-old Mack for a one-year, $7 million contract, which any team can afford. It comes down more to fit, and if Mack feels most comfortable returning to the team he once thrived with, the Bears shouldn't hesitate to take him up on it.

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