The Chicago Bears rebuild is officially here
It didn’t take long for Ryan Poles to make his first major decision as the Chicago Bears General Manager.
In another shocking NFL trade, ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced on Thursday that the Bears are sending three time first-team All-Pro Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The move will see the Bears acquire a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick from the Chargers as part of the deal.
Mack, a former fifth overall pick, joined the Bears in 2018 following a trade from the then Oakland Raiders. He recorded 36 sacks in 53 games for Chicago.
And despite an injury hit 2021, the star pash rusher began last season strongly with six sacks in just seven appearances.
He’s just turned 31 but no doubt has plenty left to give.
From the Chargers point of view, this is an unbelievable trade. Partnering Mack with Joey Bosa gives them a premier pass rush that will scare opposition teams.
If they can have a solid draft on top of the trade, this could be the start of a huge year in LA.
Meanwhile for the Bears, this trade signals the start of a new era in Chicago under Poles. He’s moved to completely cut ties from the previous regime, as he looks to build success his own way.
The right decision?
Mack is only halfway through the monster six-year deal that he signed following the trade from the Raiders.
That deal was restructured before the 2021 season, which not only gave then GM Ryan Pace room under the salary cap but at the time made Mack the highest-paid defender in NFL history.
It’s fair to say that Mack wasn’t consistently elite enough to warrant the huge contract he was on in Chicago.
He never produced another season of double-digit sacks after 2018 and couldn’t come close to reaching the standards of Aaron Donald or T.J. Watt in the defensive player of the year race.
It seems that this year was the right time to move on.
Mack was set to have a cap hit of $30.15 million for the Bears in 2022. The trade leaves $24 million of dead money on the Bears’ books but the Chargers will be taking on the full contract from 2023.
The $6 million saving for this year isn’t major, but it does give something for the Bears to work with. But with little money available, it’s likely that Mack won’t be the last player to leave either.
Poles inherited an ageing roster and with new Head Coach Matt Eberflus also leading the charge, they are looking to start from scratch on the team.
Akeim Hicks and Allen Robinson look set for the exit, while the future of James Daniels and Robert Quinn also look uncertain.
If Mack can be leave, then anyone can.
Long road ahead for the Bears
Bears fans are desperate for success. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2011 and losing their biggest name may seem like another sign of failure.
But this rebuild is will take time. With no first-round draft pick in 2022 and limited cap room, this is not a team that will be going to the postseason anytime soon.
That’s not to say the Bears don’t currently have valuable assets. Quarterback Justin Fields is well primed to breakout in 2022 and tight end Cole Kmet should be targeted a lot more next season.
They could even build around Teven Jennings on their offensive line this season by signing someone like Terron Armstead in free agency.
On the other side of the ball, Roquan Smith is now the centre piece of their defense. He must be supported.
The idea of a complete rebuild must be exciting, yet daunting for fans. But with their franchise quarterback sorted for the future, the Bears should be doing everything to help his development.
With six draft picks now in 2022, Chicago should be well primed to start building around Fields and those players.
Make no mistake, this will take a lot of work with some potentially difficult years ahead.
How Mack will be remembered in Chicago
The name Khalil Mack brings an aura of quality with it and there’s no doubt that on his day, he’s one of the best defensive players in the league.
His outstanding All-Pro season in 2018 was an obvious highlight year for the Bears, as he helped to push his team to a 12-4 record.
Mack is a special playmaker who forces pressures, makes stops against the run, draws penalties and helps those around him to develop. There’s no doubt he opens things up for others when he’s on the field.
Of course, the elite defense the Bears have possessed over the past couple of years has not fully worked out. Mack was unable to stay healthy and his production subsequently declined.
Trading him on for draft capital does make sense, even if the amount seems very low. The ageing Mack will not be key to their future in the years ahead.
Ultimately though, he’s been by far the best player on the Bears roster since he joined four years ago.
Chicago has lost a superstar. But this trade could do them good in the long run.
