Khalil Mack’s campaign for another NFL Defensive Player of the Year award is off to a rousing start with the Chicago Bears. Mack has been with the team for a little more than three calendar weeks now, but he already has four sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, an interception, and a touchdown. He is literally out-producing the Raiders defense, which has just three sacks, one forced fumble, one interception, and no defensive touchdowns in three games.
I simply can’t understand the logic behind needing to trade that guy away, but I’m grateful for whatever the thought happened to be when it crossed Jon Gruden’s mind. And we’re not alone in that. Because let’s just say Mack is happy about being a member of the Chicago Bears, too:
https://twitter.com/ChicagoGod/status/1044022816687849472
And think about it this way: every Bears win pushes the first-round pick the Raiders acquired for the 2019 NFL Draft further down the board. *evil laughing*
To be sure, first-round picks could be valuable building blocks for Oakland/Las Vegas moving forward. But Mack is valuable right now … and that might be underselling it – he’s arguably the best defensive player in football. And what Mack’s teammates have done since he has stepped in the lineup says a lot about what he brings to the table – and even more about what the Raiders are missing as they are off to an 0-3 start.