Mack looks forward to new start with Bears after monster trade
Chicago gives him six-year, $141 million extension
LAKE FOREST, ILL. » Armed with a record extension after a blockbuster trade, Khalil Mack is looking forward to a fresh start with the Chicago Bears.
The two-time All-Pro said he is “glad I’m here” and “blessed” after a contract holdout with the Oakland Raiders ended with the star pass rusher getting dealt in a massive move on Saturday.
“It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s been exciting,” Mack said Sunday. “It’s new and I’m looking forward to it. I really can’t wait. I’m itching. It’s been a long time since I played football.”
He held out for the entire offseason and preseason trying to secure a long-term deal rather than play under the final year of his rookie contract that would have earned him $13.8 million.
The Bears paid a big price, giving him a six-year, $141 million extension that guarantees $90 million. That made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, a day after the Rams’ Aaron Donald agreed to a six-year, $135 million deal, with $87 million guaranteed.
Chicago sent Oakland first-round selections in 2019 and 2020, a sixthrounder next year and a third-rounder in 2020. The Bears got a second-round selection in 2020 — which Pace called “a critical piece for us” — and a conditional fifth-rounder that year.
Mack acknowledged there is “absolutely” pressure that comes with a huge contract.
“But just based on how hard I worked and how hard I play, I want to be able to go out and show why — and that’s just me,” he said. “I’ve always thought of myself as the best defensive player in the league and I want to play like the best defensive player in the league. I want to be the best at what I do, and that’s just me. That’s what comes with Mack. Good response?”
What he brings could be a game changer for a franchise with four straight last-place finishes in the NFC North. That’s why general manager Ryan Pace decided to check with Oakland if Mack might be available.
“This is a premier player at a premier position, and this doesn’t come around that often,” Pace said. “So when it does come around, I’m just proud that I work for an organization that’s willing to be aggressive in these times, and that Matt and I have the support to be aggressive, and that starts with ownership.”
The 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Mack has played in every game since the Raiders drafted him fifth overall in 2014. He has 231 primary tackles, 40½ sacks and nine forced fumbles.
Coach Matt Nagy wasn’t sure if Mack would play in the opener at Green Bay. But when he does suit up, a defense that ranked 10th overall last season figures to get a boost.
The Bears have speed and athleticism on the edge with Mack and Leonard Floyd. They also believe they added a potential cornerstone player when they drafted inside linebacker Roquan Smith with the No. 8 overall pick.
Broncos cut former top pick Lynch
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — John Elway cut ties with his biggest draft bust Sunday when he waived quarterback Paxton Lynch less than 24 hours after including him on the Denver Broncos’ 53-man roster.
Lynch was jettisoned after the Broncos were awarded fellow third-year quarterback Kevin Hogan off waivers from Washington.
Elway said he and coach Vance Joseph “met with Paxton this morning and informed him that it’s best for everyone to make this move. We appreciate all of Paxton’s hard work as a Bronco, and we wish him well in the future.”
Elway once viewed the athletic but raw Lynch as a future franchise quarterback, moving up in the 2016 NFL draft to select the University of Memphis star with the 26th overall pick in the first round.
That move came in the shadows of Denver’s Super Bowl 50 win and shortly after Peyton Manning’s retirement and Brock Osweiler’s departure.
Elway acknowledged at the time that Lynch was a project who needed some seasoning but he expressed hope that Lynch might be a quick study.
He wasn’t.
Chargers bring back TE Antonio Gates
COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers aren’t ready to say farewell to Antonio Gates after all.
Four months after the Chargers bade a public goodbye to the leading receiver in franchise history, Gates returned to the team on Sunday, one week before the start of his 16th season. The 38-year-old franchise stalwart is getting a oneyear deal and another shot at his first trip to a Super Bowl.
The Chargers intended to part ways with Gates last spring after his role declined behind starting tight end Hunter Henry in 2017. Their plans changed when Henry tore a knee ligament during offseason workouts in May, likely sidelining him for the upcoming season.
Although they’ve been discussing a reunion for many weeks, Gates and the Chargers waited until the day before the first week of game preparation for the regular season to formalize his return to his only NFL team. Gates’ 114 career touchdown catches are sixth in NFL history and the most among active players.