The Green Bay Packers are approaching free agency in 2025 with no priority free agents, plenty of salary cap space and a need to add veteran talent to a young, cheap and ascending roster.
One year after signing safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs in free agency, general manager Brian Gutekunst is in a position to make another splash in 2025.
Until free agency, Packers Wire will run through potential options, continuing today with edge rusher Khalil Mack, in an attempt to identify the pros and cons of each potential target for Gutekunst.
Mack, a nine-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, could be a Julius Peppers-like target for the Packers in 2025.
Let’s dig into the pros and cons of the Packers going after Mack:
Pros
— He is a proven and consistently disruptive player at a premium position. Over 11 NFL seasons, Mack has averaged over 10 sacks and almost 20 quarterback hits a season. And his production has aged well — over the last three seasons, Mack has averaged 66 pressures per year.
— Even in a reduced role snap-wise last season (668 snaps), Mack still produced 52 pressures on 419 pass-rushing snaps.
— Mack has created at least 50 pressures during every season he’s played at least 400 snaps (10 of his 11 career seasons). He is as close to a sure thing as there is at edge rusher in free agency.
— Mack could team with Rashan Gary to give the Packers a big, physical edge defending duo while providing a veteran to help continue the development of Lukas Van Ness and Brenton Cox Jr. behind them.
— Mack has been an elite run defender on the edge for his entire career. He has seven seasons with a run defense grade of 90.0 or higher at PFF, including 91.8 mark in 2023 and 90.2 grade in 2024.
— Mack’s sack and TFL numbers dropped last season, but he is just one year removed from producing 17 sacks, 88 pressures and 22 tackles for loss in 2023.
— Durability is a big plus, especially for an older player. Mack has played in at least 16 games during nine of his 11 seasons. Last season, he played in 16 of 17 games and missed just one game with a minor groin injury.
— Mack is a turnover-creator. He’s forced 32 career fumbles, including nine over the last three seasons. Sacks are great; strip sacks and turnovers are better. He also defends passes as a rusher — Mack produced nine pass breakups in 2024 and 10 in 2023 and has 43 for his career. Most of these are batted passes at the line or in the face of the passer. His disruption is multi-faceted.
— Mack has played in five postseason games but still doesn’t have a postseason win. He’s going to want to play for a true contender in 2025. The Packers could sell him on being a missing piece to a title-contending team.
— Signing Mack would significantly lower the team’s need at edge rusher going into the draft, giving Brian Gutekunst more flexibility in terms of adding to his roster in other key spots.
— The comparisons to Julius Peppers are right on the mark and give both the Packers and Mack a realistic look at what a signing could look like. Like Peppers, Mack is a former high draft pick with elite athleticism who has aged gracefully and has proven to be a disruptive player well into his 30s. Mack could have 2-3 more good years in him. Peppers produced 25 sacks and was a key player for the Packers during the 2014-16 run, which featured two NFC title game appearances.
Cons
— Mack turns 34 years old later this month. Signing free agents over 30 years old isn’t the Packers’ way because of the inherent risk of injury and sharp regression in older players. Mack, like Julius Peppers before him, might be the exception to the rule, however.
— Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Mack is expected to have a “robust market,” so a significant financial commitment will likely be required to sign him in free agency.
— The Chargers did reduce Mack’s snaps significantly last season, likely in an effort to maximize his output. He played over 900 snaps in 2022 and 2023 but only 668 in 2024. Mack probably isn’t a full-time, every-down player anymore.
— Mack contemplated retirement following the 2024 season. Is he nearing the end? The Packers got three quality years out of Julius Peppers, but Mack’s shelf life might be much shorter if retirement is already on the mind.
— By all accounts, Mack loves being in Los Angeles and is optimistic about the future of the Chargers under Jim Harbaugh. It’s possible he’ll prioritize staying with the Chargers — who have tons of cap space — on a short-term deal.
— Finishing plays can occasionally be a problem. Mack has finished with a missed tackle percentage of 20.0 or higher during three of the last four seasons.