NEWSLETTER
If you’re holding out hope for a potential blockbuster deal for Oakland Raiders pass-rusher Khalil Mack, the latest from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio will breathe new life into what might ultimately still be a long-shot.
Florio reports that the Raiders “haven’t slammed the door on the possibility” of trading Mack, but notes the team is “being coy” with the teams who have checked in on the talented pass-rusher’s availability. Let’s take it a step further. A source has informed Florio that four teams are exploring a possible deal “very seriously.”
In theory, the Chicago Bears could be one of those four teams who are serious about their interest in Mack. The Bears have made sense as a possible landing spot since Mack’s rumored availability was originally floated out onto the rumor mill. And while the Green Bay Packers were initially set as the odds-on favorites to acquire Mack, the Bears have since been mentioned as a trade partner with the pieces to get it done.
Then again, the Packers are always lurking and their general manager has successfully talked around a possible blockbuster deal of his own. In a recent interview wit Pete Dougherty of JSOnline.com/the Green Bay Press-Gazette, first-year GM Brian Gutekunst hinted at the possibility of the Packers being able to afford the highest-paid defensive player in the league and its highest-paid quarterback. Yikes.
It’s the final week of the preseason and it remains clear that the relationship between Mack and the Raiders remains icy. That Mack doesn’t have the new contract he desires and has yet to report to the team will only continue to fuel the trade rumor mill. And until a resolution comes about, the Bears are probably going to find themselves in the mix. Or at minimum, on the periphery.
