NFL Coaches, GMs Reflect on Khalil Mack Bears-Raiders Trade Leading to NFL Megatrades

The trade that sent Khalil Mack from the then-Oakland Raiders to the Chicago Bears in 2018 forever changed how teams part ways with their future draft capital in megadeals for star players.

The Bears acquired Mack from the Raiders in September 2018 in exchange for a slew of draft picks, including two first-round selections, and the star linebacker went on to sign a six-year, $141 million deal with Chicago.

At the time, it was uncommon for teams to part with so much high-level draft capital, but now it has become more common, and several NFL coaches and general managers believed the deal "opened the floodgates" for the megatrades that have happened since, per Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano.

Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said:

"There are a lot of general managers who are eager. There are a lot of general managers, who, maybe, are willing to go ahead and part with some capital to go ahead and bring a really premier player, whatever the position it might be to their organization, and so, I think, to me, more than anything else, I think there's a little bit more of a willingness to explore it and then go ahead and follow through with it. I'm sure that a long time ago there were conversations, but there was also probably a little hesitancy to do something like that."

Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort added:

"I think those decisions are always case by case. Teams gotta decide where they are in their running the team process, where their teams are competitively and the decisions they gotta make. I think those will always be unique. Did those trades affect other people? You know, I don't know. We study all the moves that happen around the league, and I think in the end, I think teams are going to have to make those decisions case by case. I think some of those trades have worked out positively. Some of them, maybe, not so great. I think it's always going to depend on the player and where the team is at that given time to decide if that's the right thing to do for each respective team."

"You're also giving up a few years of team control, cheaper rookie contracts, but I think that's the trade-off, so I don't know. I don't think so. I don't think it's going to be wholesale, but I do always think there's going to be a player that someone wants to go all in on, and a team deems that person to be the difference-maker. I think there's always going to be that to a degree."

Mack has been one of the best linebackers in the NFL since being selected fifth overall by the Raiders in 2014. He has earned seven Pro Bowl selections, three All-Pros and was named the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year.

Mack spent four seasons with the Bears before joining the Los Angeles Chargers ahead of the 2022 season.

The 32-year-old put together a solid 2022 campaign with the Bolts, posting eight sacks, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 50 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hits in 17 games.

Mack will only continue to be a leader on defense for the Chargers in 2023 as they aim to rebound from a wild card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.