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Former Packers safety Matt Bowen likes the fit for Khalil Mack, who could provide a similar impact to another fairly recent free agent signing.
Once in a while, NFL teams sign players in free agency who previously had their best games or most sustained successes against their new teams. There is a school of thought that coaches and GMs see a player wreck their own team and over-value those players when reviewing the film and evaluating them.
By that logic, the Green Bay Packers should have a clear top choice in the 2025 free agency period: Khalil Mack.
Ever since Mack arrived in Chicago just before week one of the 2018 season (via a trade from the Oakland Raiders), he has been a thorn in the Packers’ sides. Mack has played against the Packers nine times in his career — once with the Raiders, seven times with the Bears, and once more with the Los Angeles Chargers, last season — and he has a total of 8.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in those games. Mack’s finest performance came in that 2018 season-opener, when he put up a sack, a forced fumble (which he recovered), and a pick-six off backup quarterback DeShone Kizer.
Now, Mack appears headed for free agency for the first time as a 34-year-old, 11-year veteran. Both times Mack has switched teams previously, he has done so via trade, so this will be his first time to truly test the open market. And according to at least one NFL analyst, Green Bay would be the best match for him for 2025 and beyond.
That analyst is ESPN’s Matt Bowen, a former NFL safety who played for the Packers in 2001 and 2002. On Tuesday, Bowen published his list of the top 50 free agents-to-be for 2025, along with each player’s best team fit, with Mack being the only player matched up with the Packers. Here’s his rationale:
The Packers adding Mack to pair with Rashan Gary would boost their pass rush off the edges. Mack had six sacks and 41 pressures in 2024 with the Chargers. And even though he’s turning 34 this week, he’s still a three-down force with the steady play speed to heat up the pocket.
Mack has plenty of experience as an edge rusher in a variety of different defensive schemes, playing as a 4-3 end in Oakland and Los Angeles as well as a 3-4 outside linebacker in Chicago and LA. With the Packers moving to a 4-3 system under Jeff Hafley in 2024, he would give the team a steady veteran presence in the starting lineup, one capable of playing all three downs and something around 60-70 percent of snaps overall.
Mack has been a Pro Bowler in 9 of his 11 seasons, a first-team All-Pro three times, and the Defensive Player of the Year once. As such, he is a sure-fire Hall of Famer when his career comes to an end. Of course, he Packers would be looking for...
