Playing his former franchise, the Las Vegas Raiders, on Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack didn’t show any mercy. Mack instead looked like he was playing with some extra motivation, delivering a standout performance that helped the Chargers to a 24-17 win.

Mack finished the night with six sacks, his career-best, and broke the Chargers’ single-game sacks record in the process. Two of his sacks resulted in forced fumbles, with one of them being recovered by the Chargers.

The Raiders started rookie Aidan O’Connell against the Chargers, with veteran Jimmy Garoppolo being out with a concussion. O’Connell’s inexperience ended up making the job easier, according to Mack.

“We had time to get there,” Mack said. “We had a young guy back there. He was thinking a lot, you could tell, and he made some mistakes, especially when it comes to ball security.”

Khalil Mack spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Raiders, who drafted him fifth overall in 2014. After earning three Pro Bowls and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award with the franchise, Mack was traded to the Chicago Bears following a breakdown in extension negotiations.

Mack would go on to play four years for the Bears as well before Chicago traded him to the Chargers ahead of the 2022 NFL season. The 32-year-old player had eight sacks last season and earned his seventh Pro Bowl nod.

The post Khalil Mack Breaks Chargers’ Single-Game Sacks Record Against the Raiders appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Bears are wrapping up their first significant piece of business under new general manager Ryan Poles. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears have agreed to trade All-Pro defensive end Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Reportedly, the deal will see the Bears getting a draft package that includes a second-round draft pick in 2022 and a sixth-round selection in 2023.

Mack arrived in Chicago back in 2018 in a blockbuster trade from the Oakland Raiders that cost the Bears two first-rounders, among other picks. He also received a six-year, $141 million extension that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league at the time.

The trade seemed to be working well for Chicago early on, as Mack had 12.5 sacks and made the All-Pro team in his first year. However, this turned out to be his only double-digit sacks season, and his presence didn’t contribute to playoff success as the Bears hoped.

While the Bears will become worse defensively without Mack, his exit comes with several benefits. They will have draft assets to boost their rebuild while also getting his massive contract off their books. On the other hand, the Chargers add a playmaker that should help solidify their shaky defense. The LA team ranked struggled to stop the run in 2021 while ranking at the bottom in allowed third-down conversion.

Mack, who was the Raiders’ no. 5 pick in 2014, has 467 career tackles and 76.5 career sacks. He was NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and was named to Pro Bowl six consecutive times between 2015 and 2020.

The post Bears Trading All-Pro DE Khalil Mack to Chargers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Las Vegas Raiders had an interesting idea for solving their defense problems this offseason. According to The Athletic‘s Vic Tafur, the Raiders reached out to the Chicago Bears and tried to bring back Pro Bowl Khalil Mack.

The Raiders head coach Jon Gruden called the Bears’ front office back in March to see if Mack was available. Chicago was hampered with cap issues at the time, and Gruden believed they might entertain the idea of parting with the 30-year-old player’s big contract.

However, the Bears didn’t even engage in talks for Mack and gave Gruden a straight no.

The Raiders ended up picking up Pro Bowl DE Yannick Ngakoue in the free agency as a fix for their defense and are reportedly pleased with the way the move worked out so far. Chicago, on the other hand, engaged in cap gymnastics and managed to dig themselves out of a financial hole.

This would signal that the Raiders have seller’s remorse over Khalil Mack

One of Gruden’s first moves as a head coach of Las Vegas Raiders was to orchestrate Mack’s trade to the Bears after the 2016’s NFL Defensive Player of the year asked for a big-time extension. The Raiders ended up getting a package of picks that included two first-rounders (2019 and 2020). 

The trade worked out for the Bears in terms of getting a productive player that notched 30.0 sacks in three seasons and helped them reach playoffs two times. The Raiders, on the other hand, turned the picks into Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs and corner Damon Arnette.

The post Raiders Tried to Bring Back Pro Bowl LB Khalil Mack appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Pro Bowl pass rusher Khalil Mack is taking responsibility for a disappointing 2019 season that saw Chicago Bears stumble to 8-8 record and miss the playoffs.

Mack joined the Bears in a blockbuster trade from Oakland Raiders in 2018 and made an immediate impact helping the team to NFC North title. Last year, however, Bears struggled while the 29-year-old failed to be a disruptive presence on defense.

“I wasn’t good enough,” Mack recently said in a chat with reporters. “Wasn’t good enough at all. Understanding that, there are different intangibles that came with it. I don’t make any excuses. I just rise to the occasion, and I am getting ready for this one. “

While Mack made the Pro Bowl in 2019, he was far from his usual production. His 8.5 sacks were lowest since his rookie year, while he also put up career-low 47 tackles and eight tackles for loss.

However, Mack believes that 2019 was an outlier and that the Bears’ fans can expect him to be his usual self this season.

“I know myself,” he added. “I know what I’m capable of. And this is gonna be fun, man. I can’t wait to get out there with my teammates and make plays and give oohs and ahhs to the TV crowd.”

The post Bears’ Khalil Mack on Disappointing 2019 Season: “I Wasn’t Good Enough” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Chicago Bears All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack wasn’t a part of the team’s training camp in 2018, as he was still a member of Oakland Raiders at the time. This, however, didn’t stop him to have a productive season and help the Bears to their first NFC North championship since 2010 last season.

Now, as he enters his first preseason with the Bears organization, Mack has even bigger expectations for both himself and his team.

“We’re hungrier than we were last year,” – said Mack according to NBC Sports’ JJ Stankevitz. “I’m speaking for myself, as well. I’m way hungrier than I was last year.”

Although Mack managed to have 12.5 sacks to go with 47 tackles, one interception, and one touchdown in his first year in Chicago, he still doesn’t view it as a success.

“It definitely wasn’t good enough,” – he added. “Just looking forward to this year and getting better.”

After seven years of not being in the playoffs, Bears managed to turn around their fortune in 2018 and emerge as a fringe Super Bowl contender. The acquisition of Khalil Mack played a big part in this as the 28-year-old gave them a desperately needed pass rush boost and solidified their defense.

Bears finished the season with a 12-4 record, good for Wild Card spot in the playoffs where they suffered 15-16 loss to Philadelphia Eagles.

The post Bears’ Khalil Mack: “We’re Hungrier than We Were Last Year” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Since joining Chicago Bears in September, outside linebacker Khalil Mack has been playing outstanding football. In five games he played this season, the 27-year-old has 5.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception returned for a touchdown. While this caused people to compare Mack with some of the football’s greats like Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick disagrees.

“Wait a minute, we’re talking about Lawrence Taylor now,” – said Belichick when asked by reporters whether Mack could measure up with Taylor. “I’m not putting anybody in Lawrence Taylor’s class. Put everybody down below that. With a lot of respect to a lot of good players, we’re talking about Lawrence Taylor.“

Belichick will have a chance to witness the talents of Khalil Mack first hand on Sunday when his Patriots face the Bears. While New England’s coach doesn’t think that Mack deserves to be compared to Lawrence Taylor, that doesn’t mean he isn’t impressed by Mack.

“He’s big, strong and fast,” – added the 66-year-old. “He’s got a lot of power. He does a good job of power-rushing, and he’s fast enough to get the edge. He has good ball awareness so he does a good job of tackling the quarterback when he has to tackle him, but if he has a chance to get the ball out he’s got good ball awareness and can strip it out.“

While Khalil Mack is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, he has a long way to go until he gets even close to Lawrence Taylor’s achievements. Taylor, who is often mentioned in conversation as one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the sport, spent 13 years in the league and won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants. He was also named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 while being selected to Pro Bowl 10 times and getting First-team All-Pro honors eight times.

The post Bill Belichick: Bears’ Khalil Mack isn’t the Same Class as Lawrence Taylor appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Chicago Bears can finally hope for some brighter days. Bears decided to pull off what seems to be the most significant trade of the NFL offseason, and have acquired All-Pro offensive linebacker Khalil Mack from the Oakland Raiders over the weekend.

According to sources close to the organization, Bears gave up a first-round and a sixth-round pick in 2019 and first-round, third-round and a sixth-round pick in 2020. Besides Mack, Raiders are also sending a second-round and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2020.

DONE DEAL.

Welcome to Chicago, @52Mack_!!!
pic.twitter.com/QkysLaHPDn

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 1, 2018

“We are excited to add a special playmaker like Khalil to our football team,” – said Bears general manager Ryan Pace. “He brings a ton on the field, but he fits what we are building in our locker room too. Elite defensive players in their prime are rare so when we knew we had a legit shot to acquire him, we did everything we thought necessary to get him. I’m confident the compensation to Oakland, including the return draft picks to us, and the contract extension for Khalil are fair to all parties. We are anxious to get Khalil to Chicago with his coaches and teammates.“

Although Khalil Mack is considered one of the best defensive players in the league, Oakland Raiders decided to start taking offers after the player failed to report for team’s OTAs and training camp. Mack was holding out in order to receive a huge new contract, something the Raiders apparently were not willing to give him.

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said that although the entire organization including coach John Gruden wanted for Mack to stay with the franchise, they couldn’t meet his contract demands.

“We wanted, all of us – Gruden, myself, everybody in the organization — wanted Khalil to be a Raider. That’s not an issue at all. We presented him with an offer and we got that counter back and talked about it with him … and it just, what they were demanding, it just wasn’t going to work at that time … it didn’t work out in the end … we weren’t close. We presented prior to the start of the league year … Khalil got a great deal,” – said McKenzie.

Chicago Bears, on the other side, are more than willing to splash money on Mack and that’s just what they will do in the upcoming days. According to ESPN‘s Adam Schefter, Bears agreed to a contract extension with the 27-year-old, making him the highest paid defensive player in the league’s history. Mack will earn $23.5 million per season and is set to receive $60 million at signing and $90 million in guaranteed money. The previous record holder was LA Rams’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who recently signed an extension which will get him $22.5 million annually.

Oakland Raiders drafted Khalil Mack in 2014 with the fifth overall pick. Mack played 48 games in four years and received three Pro-Bowl selections and two First-team All-Pro honors while being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. His NFL career stats include 304 total tackles, 40.5 sack, nine forced fumbles, one interception and one defensive touchdown.

The post Bears Acquire Raiders’ OL Khalil Mack in a Blockbuster Trade appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Playing his former franchise, the Las Vegas Raiders, on Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack didn’t show any mercy. Mack instead looked like he was playing with some extra motivation, delivering a standout performance that helped the Chargers to a 24-17 win.

Mack finished the night with six sacks, his career-best, and broke the Chargers’ single-game sacks record in the process. Two of his sacks resulted in forced fumbles, with one of them being recovered by the Chargers.

The Raiders started rookie Aidan O’Connell against the Chargers, with veteran Jimmy Garoppolo being out with a concussion. O’Connell’s inexperience ended up making the job easier, according to Mack.

“We had time to get there,” Mack said. “We had a young guy back there. He was thinking a lot, you could tell, and he made some mistakes, especially when it comes to ball security.”

Khalil Mack spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Raiders, who drafted him fifth overall in 2014. After earning three Pro Bowls and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award with the franchise, Mack was traded to the Chicago Bears following a breakdown in extension negotiations.

Mack would go on to play four years for the Bears as well before Chicago traded him to the Chargers ahead of the 2022 NFL season. The 32-year-old player had eight sacks last season and earned his seventh Pro Bowl nod.

The post Khalil Mack Breaks Chargers’ Single-Game Sacks Record Against the Raiders appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Bears are wrapping up their first significant piece of business under new general manager Ryan Poles. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears have agreed to trade All-Pro defensive end Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Reportedly, the deal will see the Bears getting a draft package that includes a second-round draft pick in 2022 and a sixth-round selection in 2023.

Mack arrived in Chicago back in 2018 in a blockbuster trade from the Oakland Raiders that cost the Bears two first-rounders, among other picks. He also received a six-year, $141 million extension that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league at the time.

The trade seemed to be working well for Chicago early on, as Mack had 12.5 sacks and made the All-Pro team in his first year. However, this turned out to be his only double-digit sacks season, and his presence didn’t contribute to playoff success as the Bears hoped.

While the Bears will become worse defensively without Mack, his exit comes with several benefits. They will have draft assets to boost their rebuild while also getting his massive contract off their books. On the other hand, the Chargers add a playmaker that should help solidify their shaky defense. The LA team ranked struggled to stop the run in 2021 while ranking at the bottom in allowed third-down conversion.

Mack, who was the Raiders’ no. 5 pick in 2014, has 467 career tackles and 76.5 career sacks. He was NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and was named to Pro Bowl six consecutive times between 2015 and 2020.

The post Bears Trading All-Pro DE Khalil Mack to Chargers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Las Vegas Raiders had an interesting idea for solving their defense problems this offseason. According to The Athletic‘s Vic Tafur, the Raiders reached out to the Chicago Bears and tried to bring back Pro Bowl Khalil Mack.

The Raiders head coach Jon Gruden called the Bears’ front office back in March to see if Mack was available. Chicago was hampered with cap issues at the time, and Gruden believed they might entertain the idea of parting with the 30-year-old player’s big contract.

However, the Bears didn’t even engage in talks for Mack and gave Gruden a straight no.

The Raiders ended up picking up Pro Bowl DE Yannick Ngakoue in the free agency as a fix for their defense and are reportedly pleased with the way the move worked out so far. Chicago, on the other hand, engaged in cap gymnastics and managed to dig themselves out of a financial hole.

This would signal that the Raiders have seller’s remorse over Khalil Mack

One of Gruden’s first moves as a head coach of Las Vegas Raiders was to orchestrate Mack’s trade to the Bears after the 2016’s NFL Defensive Player of the year asked for a big-time extension. The Raiders ended up getting a package of picks that included two first-rounders (2019 and 2020). 

The trade worked out for the Bears in terms of getting a productive player that notched 30.0 sacks in three seasons and helped them reach playoffs two times. The Raiders, on the other hand, turned the picks into Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs and corner Damon Arnette.

The post Raiders Tried to Bring Back Pro Bowl LB Khalil Mack appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Pro Bowl pass rusher Khalil Mack is taking responsibility for a disappointing 2019 season that saw Chicago Bears stumble to 8-8 record and miss the playoffs.

Mack joined the Bears in a blockbuster trade from Oakland Raiders in 2018 and made an immediate impact helping the team to NFC North title. Last year, however, Bears struggled while the 29-year-old failed to be a disruptive presence on defense.

“I wasn’t good enough,” Mack recently said in a chat with reporters. “Wasn’t good enough at all. Understanding that, there are different intangibles that came with it. I don’t make any excuses. I just rise to the occasion, and I am getting ready for this one. “

While Mack made the Pro Bowl in 2019, he was far from his usual production. His 8.5 sacks were lowest since his rookie year, while he also put up career-low 47 tackles and eight tackles for loss.

However, Mack believes that 2019 was an outlier and that the Bears’ fans can expect him to be his usual self this season.

“I know myself,” he added. “I know what I’m capable of. And this is gonna be fun, man. I can’t wait to get out there with my teammates and make plays and give oohs and ahhs to the TV crowd.”

The post Bears’ Khalil Mack on Disappointing 2019 Season: “I Wasn’t Good Enough” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Chicago Bears All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack wasn’t a part of the team’s training camp in 2018, as he was still a member of Oakland Raiders at the time. This, however, didn’t stop him to have a productive season and help the Bears to their first NFC North championship since 2010 last season.

Now, as he enters his first preseason with the Bears organization, Mack has even bigger expectations for both himself and his team.

“We’re hungrier than we were last year,” – said Mack according to NBC Sports’ JJ Stankevitz. “I’m speaking for myself, as well. I’m way hungrier than I was last year.”

Although Mack managed to have 12.5 sacks to go with 47 tackles, one interception, and one touchdown in his first year in Chicago, he still doesn’t view it as a success.

“It definitely wasn’t good enough,” – he added. “Just looking forward to this year and getting better.”

After seven years of not being in the playoffs, Bears managed to turn around their fortune in 2018 and emerge as a fringe Super Bowl contender. The acquisition of Khalil Mack played a big part in this as the 28-year-old gave them a desperately needed pass rush boost and solidified their defense.

Bears finished the season with a 12-4 record, good for Wild Card spot in the playoffs where they suffered 15-16 loss to Philadelphia Eagles.

The post Bears’ Khalil Mack: “We’re Hungrier than We Were Last Year” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Since joining Chicago Bears in September, outside linebacker Khalil Mack has been playing outstanding football. In five games he played this season, the 27-year-old has 5.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception returned for a touchdown. While this caused people to compare Mack with some of the football’s greats like Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick disagrees.

“Wait a minute, we’re talking about Lawrence Taylor now,” – said Belichick when asked by reporters whether Mack could measure up with Taylor. “I’m not putting anybody in Lawrence Taylor’s class. Put everybody down below that. With a lot of respect to a lot of good players, we’re talking about Lawrence Taylor.“

Belichick will have a chance to witness the talents of Khalil Mack first hand on Sunday when his Patriots face the Bears. While New England’s coach doesn’t think that Mack deserves to be compared to Lawrence Taylor, that doesn’t mean he isn’t impressed by Mack.

“He’s big, strong and fast,” – added the 66-year-old. “He’s got a lot of power. He does a good job of power-rushing, and he’s fast enough to get the edge. He has good ball awareness so he does a good job of tackling the quarterback when he has to tackle him, but if he has a chance to get the ball out he’s got good ball awareness and can strip it out.“

While Khalil Mack is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, he has a long way to go until he gets even close to Lawrence Taylor’s achievements. Taylor, who is often mentioned in conversation as one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the sport, spent 13 years in the league and won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants. He was also named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 while being selected to Pro Bowl 10 times and getting First-team All-Pro honors eight times.

The post Bill Belichick: Bears’ Khalil Mack isn’t the Same Class as Lawrence Taylor appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Chicago Bears can finally hope for some brighter days. Bears decided to pull off what seems to be the most significant trade of the NFL offseason, and have acquired All-Pro offensive linebacker Khalil Mack from the Oakland Raiders over the weekend.

According to sources close to the organization, Bears gave up a first-round and a sixth-round pick in 2019 and first-round, third-round and a sixth-round pick in 2020. Besides Mack, Raiders are also sending a second-round and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2020.

DONE DEAL.

Welcome to Chicago, @52Mack_!!!
pic.twitter.com/QkysLaHPDn

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 1, 2018

“We are excited to add a special playmaker like Khalil to our football team,” – said Bears general manager Ryan Pace. “He brings a ton on the field, but he fits what we are building in our locker room too. Elite defensive players in their prime are rare so when we knew we had a legit shot to acquire him, we did everything we thought necessary to get him. I’m confident the compensation to Oakland, including the return draft picks to us, and the contract extension for Khalil are fair to all parties. We are anxious to get Khalil to Chicago with his coaches and teammates.“

Although Khalil Mack is considered one of the best defensive players in the league, Oakland Raiders decided to start taking offers after the player failed to report for team’s OTAs and training camp. Mack was holding out in order to receive a huge new contract, something the Raiders apparently were not willing to give him.

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said that although the entire organization including coach John Gruden wanted for Mack to stay with the franchise, they couldn’t meet his contract demands.

“We wanted, all of us – Gruden, myself, everybody in the organization — wanted Khalil to be a Raider. That’s not an issue at all. We presented him with an offer and we got that counter back and talked about it with him … and it just, what they were demanding, it just wasn’t going to work at that time … it didn’t work out in the end … we weren’t close. We presented prior to the start of the league year … Khalil got a great deal,” – said McKenzie.

Chicago Bears, on the other side, are more than willing to splash money on Mack and that’s just what they will do in the upcoming days. According to ESPN‘s Adam Schefter, Bears agreed to a contract extension with the 27-year-old, making him the highest paid defensive player in the league’s history. Mack will earn $23.5 million per season and is set to receive $60 million at signing and $90 million in guaranteed money. The previous record holder was LA Rams’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who recently signed an extension which will get him $22.5 million annually.

Oakland Raiders drafted Khalil Mack in 2014 with the fifth overall pick. Mack played 48 games in four years and received three Pro-Bowl selections and two First-team All-Pro honors while being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. His NFL career stats include 304 total tackles, 40.5 sack, nine forced fumbles, one interception and one defensive touchdown.

The post Bears Acquire Raiders’ OL Khalil Mack in a Blockbuster Trade appeared first on SportzBonanza.