5 takeaways from Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles at NFL owners meetings
4. Plenty of factors went into the Khalil Mack trade
The Khalil Mack trade was obviously the big shakeup in the Bears organization and we have not heard from Ryan Poles since. At the owners’ meetings, he was able to bring his perspective to the situation. From his response, it sounds like there were plenty of factors.
Poles said the the move to deal Mack was influenced by analytics: "Age, play time, etc. We put all that together. Then there's a timing mechanism as well. You know if you wait what does that look like? If you do it now what does it look like?"
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) March 28, 2022
Analytics such as age and playing time dictated the decision. That makes sense when you look at the career of Khalil Mack. He has not hit 10 sacks in a couple of seasons, and the injuries are starting to come for him. At his age, when the injuries start they usually do not stop.
When you add in his cap hit, and the realization that if he were to get injured again this season that they would not be able to get anything back for him, the team felt as though it was time. In the case of Robert Quinn, he is coming a better season, and his cap situation is more bearable this season, but also moving forward. Beyond that, the playing time lost by Mack is opened for Trevis Gipson.
Mack not being able to get on the field is one thing, but Gipson being a player that the Bears need to get on the field sealed the deal.