The Chicago Bears are on the right side of the Khalil Mack trade

Before anything is said, I want to say that I’m very bummed that I won’t be able to watch Khalil Mack play for the Chicago Bears anymore. It’s a genuine bummer that he won’t be with the team moving forward, but in terms of a business decision, it’s really not as bad as it seems.

The Chicago Bears weren’t a healthy Khalil Mack away from winning the Super Bowl, and his price tag was a major problem

No,  this isn’t loser-talk. The Chicago Bears realistically aren’t a healthy Khalil Mack away from winning a Super Bowl this season. As much as some Bears fans think they were, they unfortunately were not.

Back when they traded for him, however, they genuinely were. I get why they traded for him, and now I see why they’re trading him. It’s the circle of life being played out in the NFL.

The way I see it, the Los Angeles Chargers legitimately are in the position to be a healthy Khalil Mack away from a Super Bowl. Not only that, but they’re in what’s seemingly now the most competitive division in not only the AFC, but the NFL as a whole: the AFC West.

Considering the Chicago Bears just got a new GM this off season, a move like this makes sense. It doesn’t make Bears fans happy at first, I’m sure, but when looking into the amount of money Khalil Mack was signed on for with Chicago, it makes more sense to get compensated for him while also moving all of his money off the books in Halas Hall.

Ryan Poles probably didn’t want Khalil Mack’s massive contract on his plate, rather, he likely wanted to rebuild a defense that will be much cheaper to pay than Khalil Mack– even if he’s worth all that money to a team with fewer holes in their roster.

Now, I also want to say that I believe Khalil Mack deserves that money when he’s healthy. Unfortunately, that “when healthy” is a big part of why I’m not as surprised to see this move happen.

Since trading for Khalil Mack, he has only played 100% of the season two times. Now, I want to make it loud and clear that when he does play, he’s one of– if not– the best edge rushers in the NFL. However, when you aren’t able to play at 100% for all 17 games, the production starts to get more crucial for the amount he’s being paid.

And for a team that has more work to do before being a true Super Bowl contender, the Chicago Bears need to spread their money over more positions than just an edge rusher.

Also, with Poles’ commitment to surrounding Justin Fields with talent, I wouldn’t be shocked if that Khalil Mack money is used to get a weapon for the Chicago Bears’ current franchise quarterback hopeful in Justin Fields.

So, all-in-all, getting what the Chicago Bears got for a hurt, aging, and expensive– yet still elite when playing– edge rusher isn’t the end of the world. Chicago Bears fans can, and likely will, be bummed about this for a little. However, moving forward, I think this move is a step in the right direction for the team Ryan Poles sees as being the promising future.

That being said, seeing 52 play for a new team is going to take some serious getting used to.