The Chargers’ edge rush group will be different in 2025 with Joey Bosa no longer in place. Khalil Mack is still in the fold, though, given his decision to re-sign on a one-year, $18MM deal. 
That pact is guaranteed in full and ensures Mack will spend a fourth season in Los Angeles. The 34-year-old loomed as a candidate to retire at one point before it appeared he would test his value on the open market. The Bears and Buccaneers emerged as potential landing spots in the event Mack departed. Instead, he opted to remain in place for 2025.
“I had to be fair in the approach to things and not making it about just finances and all the different things,” the three-time All-Pro said when reflecting on his decision (via ESPN’s Kris Rhim). “I tried to make it more so just about winning ball games.”
The Chargers have reached the playoffs twice in Mack’s three years with the team. During that span, he has racked up 31 regular season sacks – including a career-high 17 in 2023 – en route to a Pro Bowl nod in each campaign. The 2010s All-Decade team member saw his sack total drop to just six last year, one in which he played through a groin injury. A repeat of the form shown during Los Angeles’ wild-card loss (two sacks, five QB pressures) over the course of the 2025 campaign would be a welcomed development for team and player in this case.
Mack has lost all five of his playoff appearances, so making a postseason run will be a central goal for his 12th NFL season. The former Defensive Player of the Year will remain in the AFC West, a division which sent three teams to the postseason last year and may very well do so again in 2025. If the Bolts are to enjoy a successful campaign, Mack will no doubt play a leading role along the edge.
Los Angeles has fellow veteran Bud Dupree in the fold, but especially with Bosa gone Tuli Tuipulotu will be counted on to provide consistent pass rush production. The latter upped his sack total from 4.5 to 8.5 in 2023, and a strong Year 3 could set him up for a notable extension next spring. In any case, Mack’s decision to remain with the Bolts will likely prove to be a key factor in determining their success this year.