Khalil Mack will be playing in the NFC North. For the scumbag Chicago Bears.
The Bears are giving up two first-round picks for the former Defensive Player of the Year. They are also going to make Mack the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.
By the end of the day:
— The #Bears will have Khalil Mack, who will be the highest-paid defensive player in football.
— The #Raiders will have 2 first-round picks and more, plus $23M more per year to play with that would’ve gone to Mack.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 1, 2018
And here’s the deal.
Trade official, source tells ESPN:
Bears get: Khalil Mack, a 2020 second-round round pick and a conditional 2020 fifth-round pick.
Raiders get: 2019 first-round pick, 2020 first-round pick, 2020 third-round pick, 2019 sixth-round pick.
So Bears get back second-round pick, too
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2018
As for the Green Bay Packers, they were one of the teams in on Mack. It appears the others were the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. The Packers really didn’t have the ammunition to make this happen, considering that the Bears have higher draft picks due to their suck-ass nature.
And make no mistake, two high first-round picks and a player is a hefty price to pay for anyone. Throw in this contract and it’s an even heftier price to pay.
Khalil Mack and the Bears just reached agreeement on a record-setting 6-year, $141 million extension ($23.5M per year avg) that includes $90M guaranteed and $60M at signing, source tells ESPN.
Mack is the new highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2018
Mack does indeed become the highest-paid defensive player in the game, besting the six-year, $135 million deal the Rams just gave to Aaron Donald. That deal included $87 million guaranteed. Mack gets $90 million guaranteed.
All this being said, Mack is a game-changer on the defensive side of the ball. The Bears had a good defense last year, Mack could make them a great defense. The Bears’ offense? Well, who knows about that? Mitch Trubisky, people…
What we do know is the NFC North now looks pretty competitive. Or at least more so.
The Vikings still have arguably the best defense in the league and they’ve added Kirk Cousins. The Bears may now challenge the Vikings for the best defense in the league. The Packers have Aaron Rodgers returning and a beefed-up secondary. The Lions, well… they’ll probably still be the Lions.
The Packers now better hope their tackles hold up this season.
Fans should be happy that Brian Gutekunst went after this at all. Ted Thompson never would have.