The Chicago Bears stunned the NFL world Thursday by trading star pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers.
New general manager Ryan Poles’ first big move wasn’t a free agent signing, it was a trade of a defensive star in order to build for the future by accumulating draft capital and freeing up valuable salary cap space.
While there was some initial confusion as to what exactly the Bears would be getting in return for Mack, it seems like there’s some unofficial clarification among NFL insiders. Chicago will be getting a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick in exchange for Mack.
Compensation update: Chargers are expected to send 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears in return for Khalil Mack, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2022
But there is some question about whether Chicago got fleeced in the trade with Los Angles. The general reaction around the Bears fanbase has been shock at only receiving second-round and sixth-round picks. But there might be an explanation for that.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chargers are taking on all of Mack’s contract for the final three years of the deal at $63.9 million. While the Bears will have to deal with $22 million in dead money, the future beyond 2022 looks great for Chicago’s salary cap.
It also hasn’t helped that Mack has battled injuries and has looked like a shell of himself since his impressive 2018 season. With this move, Poles accumulates some draft capital to start building for the future and gets a little breathing room moving forward with the salary cap.
Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
