You’ll be hard pressed to find someone that regrets the Bears trading for star pass rusher Khalil Mack two years ago.
It was a franchise-altering move that made a good Bears defense great and brought another high-character guy into the locker room. His impact on this franchise is a lasting one.
But there are definitely frustrations following Mack’s dip in production from last season. In 2018, Mack had 12.5 sacks and 6 forced fumbles compared to his 8.5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles in 2019.
After notching 4.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in the first four games this season, he only managed 4 sacks and 1 forced fumble in the final 12 games.
Given Mack is the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, his 2019 output isn’t up to par with his six-year $141 million deal.
Which is why Bleacher Report believes Mack is the Bears’ most overpaid star.
He’s the highest-paid defensive player in the history of the league, and the Bears have won zero playoff games since they handed him that contract before the 2018 season.
That isn’t Mack’s fault, but for that money, you have to be transcendent. He has 21 sacks in 30 games as a Bear, which is good but not great. And the Chicago defense took a big step backward statistically in 2019.
What’s most concerning is the 2014 first-round pick wasn’t even expensive the last two years. But he’ll account for more than $26 million against the cap in each of the next three seasons, with Chicago only able to get out of the third year with a $12 million dead-cap charge. Not ideal considering Mack will be 29 next month.
Mack suffered from the loss of defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, who was placed on injured reserve for an elbow injury in Week 5. Teams were already game planning specifically for Mack, but they’d usually have to worry about Hicks in the middle. With him out, the focus became all on Mack.
Mack will account for more than $26 million against the salary cap in his next three seasons. And, simply put, the Bears need better from him.
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