Can LA Chargers contend now they have Khalil Mack ?

For the third time in as many days, the NFL stole the sports world with another massive trade. This time, the Chicago Bears traded superstar pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers for a second and sixth round pick.

Murmurs of a complete overhaul in Chicago have been leaking and it appears that this is the first domino to fall. Khalil Mack has been one of the best defensive players in the league over the past 10 years but is now on the wrong side of 30 and has a massive contract.

The Bears mainly did this move to get Mack’s contract off the books as they are not in a position to win now. They will load up on draft picks and hope to build around promising QB Justin Fields. They are thinking five years down the line, which is smart, as their roster will not be competing for a championship any time soon.

The Chargers, on the other hand, are in full win now mode. On the heels of their division rival, the Denver Broncos trading for Russell Wilson, the Chargers went out and got someone to make his life miserable. There is no denying Mack’s talent, it’s just his age and injury history that is of concern.

However, this was a calculated risk by LA and they didn’t give up a ton to get him. The Chargers had a 9-8 record last year and just barely missed the playoffs. They are loaded on offense led by a future superstar QB in Justin Herbert. They already had a scrappy defense with stars in Derwin James and Joey Bosa. Now they add Khalil Mack to the mix. Opposing quarterbacks are officially on watch.

This trade makes the Chargers pass rush one of the most dangerous in the league. Joey Bosa has made the pro bowl five of his six years in the league and now Mack is right next to him. Mack, a former defensive player of the year, only played seven games last year but was able to garner six sacks. If he stays healthy, watch out.

This officially makes the Chargers a legitimate super bowl contender but it will not be easy. They are in a difficult division that features Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, the Broncos and their new star QB and a scrappy Las Vegas team. The Chargers can hang with anyone but the NFL season is about which teams can deal with adversity. The Chargers are a young team, and will have to learn how to bounce back from the problems that may pop up, but talent-wise, there may not be a better team in the NFL. Their odds to win the Super Bowl are as high as +2500 in certain places. It’s still extremely early in the offseason but at that number, it may be worth a bite.