Kris RhimMar 2, 2026, 08:46 PM ETCloseKris Rhim is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Kris covers the Los Angeles Chargers, including coach Jim Harbaugh's franchise-altering first season (https://www. espn. com/nfl/story/_/id/41068072/los-angeles-chargers-2024-preview-jim-harbaugh-culture). In Kris' free time, he lives his NBA dreams at men's leagues across Los Angeles. Follow on XMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- Nine-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Khalil Mack, who had mulled retirement, will play in 2026, a source told ESPN. Mack, 35, is set to be an unrestricted free agent for the second time in his 12-year NFL career and will explore all options. The Los Angeles Chargers hope to re-sign Mack, as they did last year. Mack, the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most decorated outside linebackers in NFL history, had 5.5 sacks in 2025, the second-lowest mark of his career, but that was partly due to an elbow injury that sidelined him for four games. When healthy, he was still a difference-maker on the Chargers' defense.
