Raiders Agree To Trade Khalil Mack To Bears

ESPNThe Raiders and Bears have an agreement in place to trade Khalil Mack to Chicago, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The sides are still working on the trade, sources said, but the Raiders are now planning to send Mack to Chicago. Mack, the No. 5 overall pick of the 2014 draft, had stayed away from the Raiders’ voluntary offseason training program and held out of the team’s mandatory three-day minicamp in June. The Raiders exercised the fifth-year option on Mack last summer, worth $13.846 million. They could have had him play under it this season and, barring the impasse, could have used a franchise tag on him in 2019.

It had been rumored for weeks that Oakland Raiders star Khalil Mack was on the trade block, but early this morning the Raiders actually pulled the trigger, and traded one of the best defensive players in the NFL to the Chicago Bears. Shocking. The deal is done, but compensation has not yet been revealed, however it’s pretty clear the Bears must have surrendered a lot to obtain one of the best pass rushers in the league. Now the Bears have to pay Mack, and with a young quarterback under a rookie contract, they can afford to do so. The Raiders did not feel that Mack fit well in new head coach Jon Gruden’s scheme, and they did not want to pay Mack huge money, so they decided to move on and obtain draft picks to help their rebuilding effort under Gruden. I know one thing, I’m glad I took the under on the Raiders win total, it’s clear by this trade that they are not in win now mode. Meanwhile the Bears get one of the best defensive players in football, they think they can contend in the NFC North right now, and with Khalil Mack harassing the divisional quarterbacks it will certainly help.

UPDATE: The Raiders got two first round picks and more from the Bears in exchange for their star defender.