ESPN’s Matt Bowen picked the Green Bay Packers as the “best fit” for free agent edge rusher Khalil Mack in his review of the site’s top 50 free agents entering the 2025 offseason.
Last year, Bowen correctly viewed the Packers as the best fit for safety Xavier McKinney in free agency.
Unlike McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs, who were both coming off rookie contracts and in the prime of their mid-20s when the Packers signed them last spring, Mack is an older, far more experienced free agent. He’ll turn 34 on Feb. 22, and he’ll enter his 12th NFL season in 2025.
But Mack is just one year removed from a 17-sack season in 2023, and he’s coming off a 2024 season in which he produced 52 pressures and one of the top overall grades among edge rushers at Pro Football Focus despite playing fewer snaps (668 in 2024, down from over 900 in 2023).
The Packers need to juice up the pass-rush after a disappointing season disrupting quarterbacks in 2024, and Mack — a nine-time Pro Bowler — is as close to a sure thing as any team will find in free agency.
From Bowen:
The Packers adding Mack to pair with Rashan Gary would boost their pass rush off the edges. Mack had six sacks and 41 pressures in 2024 with the Chargers. And even though he’s turning 34 this week, he’s still a three-down force with the steady play speed to heat up the pocket.
Mack is Bowen’s No. 9 overall free agent in 2025.
Mack played four seasons with the Raiders, four seasons with the Chicago Bears and three seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. He’s produced 107.5 sacks, 142 tackles for loss and 185 quarterback hits across 167 career games.
According to PFF, Mack has created at least 50 pressures in all but one of his NFL seasons. He averaged over 66 pressures a season over the last three years in Los Angeles.
In many ways, the Packers signing Mack in 2025 would mirror the team adding Julius Peppers in 2014. Both were top picks in the backend of their decorated careers, but both proved to be highly productive players well into their 30s. Peppers remained a disruptive and consistent edge rusher for three years in Green Bay, helping the Packers advance to two NFC title games as a starter at outside linebacker in the 3-4.
This offseason, the Packers have few free agents to re-sign, a healthy salary cap situation and window to compete for titles with a young, cheap roster. Expect Brian Gutekunst to make another splash in free agency. Adding Mack to Jeff Hafley’s improving young defense could help the Packers go from good to great in 2025.