More than three years ago, the Los Angeles Chargers made a fantastic trade.
The Chicago Bears were on the losing side of it.
On Thursday, ESPN's Bill Barnwell took a look back at the Khalil Mack deal, and he called it a "clear win for the Chargers."
The Chargers sent out a second-round pick and a sixth-round pick for the dominant pass rusher.
After a bit more dealing, the Bears turned their return into three players: Jaquan Brisker, Elijah Hicks and Trenton Gill.
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The Bears got rid of Mack because he was owed $17.8 million in 2022 and had just dealt with a foot injury.
But with the Chargers, Mack was back.
"Mack rounded back into form, making the Pro Bowl in each of the next three seasons," Barnwell writes. "The 2024 nod might have been a little generous, but in 2023, Mack racked up 17 sacks and 21 tackles for loss, earning him deserved down-ballot Defensive Player of the Year attention. He is currently sidelined by an elbow injury, but Mack had missed just one game in his first three years with the Chargers. He has been healthy and productive."
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The Bears simply haven't found someone to replace Mack. Brisker is a solid safety, but a star pass rusher is a much more valuable commodity.
They tried their big trade for Montez Sweat, but that didn't work out in a great way, either.
The Mack side ended up being the definitive better half in this deal.
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