Before there was the Micah Parsons trade to the Green Bay Packers, there was another elite edge rusher who was shockingly traded.
Back in 2018, Khalil Mack was part of a massive trade from the then-Oakland Raiders to the Chicago Bears. There were six total draft picks involved in the trade.
Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox ranked the top 10 most shocking trades in NFL history. Knox saw the similarities in the Bears-Raiders trade with Mack, as it was ranked sixth on his list.
"At the time, Mack had just wrapped his fourth season and had 40.5 sacks on his resume, was a two-time first-team All-Pro and been named the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year.
While Mack had been holding out for a new contract, no one really expected Las Vegas to trade him. That's exactly what new head coach Jon Gruden did, though, flipping the switch on a trade on September 1.
While seeing Mack on the move was surprising, it was perhaps a little less shocking than the Parsons trade. For one, the Bears weren't particularly good at the time, so their picks appeared to be more valuable, though Chicago surprised with a 12-4 record in 2018.
Secondly, the Raiders at least sent Mack outside of their conference—where he stayed until he was dealt to the rival Los Angeles Chargers four years later."
How did that trade turn out for the Bears?
After the trade, similar to Parsons, Mack became the highest-paid defender in NFL history with a six-year, $141 million contract extension. He finished that first season with the Bears with 12.5 sacks, was named a Pro Bowl, and was included in the first-team All-Pro list.
Despite being the only season in Chicago where he had over 10 sacks, Mack still made two more Pro Bowls. He finished his four years with the Bears with 52 quarterback hits and 36 sacks in 53 games.
Chicago would end up trading Mack during the 2022 offseason to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Bears gave up Mack and a 2023 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2022 second-round pick. That second-round pick would end up being current Bears starting safety Jaquan Brisker.
There was some disappointment with Mack's time with the Bears, but Chicago was competitive during that span, which included two playoff appearances in his four years there. He was more productive with the Raiders and Chargers than with the Bears, but still some good moments with him.
The second Mack trade to the Chargers actually helped set the foundation for the Bears' secondary with Brisker, who has become a solid starter. It would be Brisker, paired with Jaylon Johnson, that would give Chicago a strong secondary leading up to the 2025 season.
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Mack is considered one of the best edge rushers over the last 10 years, and Chicago played a small role in that.