Khalil Mack (; born February 22, 1991) is an American professional football outside linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Buffalo Bulls and was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft.
Mack set the all-time NCAA record for forced fumbles and is also tied for career tackles for loss in the NCAA. In 2015, he became the first player in NFL history to be selected first-team All-Pro at two different positions, defensive end and outside linebacker, in the same season. Three years later, Mack was traded to the Chicago Bears for two first-round draft picks and signed a six-year, $141 million extension, becoming the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history at the time. He was traded to the Chargers in 2022.
Early life Mack was raised by his parents: Yolanda, a teacher, and Sandy Mack Sr., a program specialist, in Fort Pierce, Florida. He has two brothers: Sandy Jr. and LeDarius. Mack's father introduced him to sports at age five. Mack took an early liking to baseball and basketball although he played Pop Warner football.
Mack attended Fort Pierce Westwood High School in Fort Pierce. For the majority of his athletic career, Mack had been relying on basketball to get him a college scholarship, but his plans were dashed by a tear in his patella tendon before his sophomore season. After this injury, his high school football coach, Waides Ashmon, recruited Mack to the sport, promising him and his parents that it would earn him a scholarship. Mack had played quarterback and was nicknamed "Bombshell Man." However, throwing the ball short was a major struggle for Mack, so he decided to become a linebacker.
In his only year of high school football, Mack had 140 tackles, including eight for a loss, and nine sacks. He was named third-team All-State in Florida, as well as first-team All-Area, and helped lead the Panthers to a district championship. Being a newcomer to the sport, Mack was rated as only a two-star recruit by Rivals.com and was not rated by ESPN's recruiting service. He received a scholarship from the University at Buffalo to play Division I football.
College career
After redshirting as a freshman in 2009, Mack broke into the Bulls' starting lineup and was one of the most productive defenders in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). He totaled 68 tackles, including for loss, sacks, 10 pass breakups, eight quarterback hurries, and two forced fumbles. Mack earned third-team all-conference honors. He chose to wear the uniform number 46 as a motivational reminder that his true potential was not being recognized – 46 was the overall rating assigned to him (out of a maximum of 99) in EA Sports' college football video game, NCAA Football 11.
Mack continued where he left off in 2010, with a dominant sophomore season. Mack led the team in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles, on the way to being named first-team All-MAC. He recorded 64 total tackles, including for loss (third best in the nation), sacks, one interception, two pass breakups, thirteen quarterback hurries, and five forced fumbles. Despite being suspended for the first game of the season following an altercation with teammate wide receiver Fred Lee, Mack set career highs in tackles (94), tackles for loss (21 – fourth in the nation), and sacks (8). He also recorded two pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, and four forced fumbles. Mack earned first-team all-conference honors for the second consecutive season.
Starting all 13 games, Mack recorded 100 tackles including 19 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, and forced five fumbles. Mack won the CFPA Linebacker Trophy for the 2013 season, and was named the 2013 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Bull to win the award in Buffalo's history within the MAC (1999–present). He was also named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press (AP). Mack finished tied for first for the NCAA in career tackles for loss with 75 and set a new record for forced fumbles with 16. Buffalo's independent student newspaper, The Spectrum, also ranked Mack as the best Buffalo football player in the Division I history of the program. Mack was elected to the University at Buffalo Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2024.
Professional career Pre-draft Leading up to the 2014 NFL draft, Mack was projected as a high first-round pick in many mock drafts.
Oakland Raiders 2014 Mack was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Oakland Raiders, making him the highest selected Buffalo player ever, and the only one selected in the first round. Previously, the highest selected player from Buffalo was defensive tackle Gerry Philbin, who was selected with the 33rd overall pick by the New York Jets in 1964. Mack chose to switch from his college uniform number, 46, to 52 in order to comply with the NFL's numbering rules. After signing a four-year contract worth $18.67 million guaranteed, Mack made his NFL debut in the season-opener against the Jets, recording six tackles during the 19–14 loss. During Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals, he recorded a season-high 11 tackles in the 24–13 loss. During a Week 11 13–6 road loss to the San Diego Chargers, Mack recorded five tackles and his first career sack on Philip Rivers. Three weeks later against the San Francisco 49ers, Mack recorded two tackles and sacked Colin Kaepernick twice in the 24–13 victory. This was Mack's first game with multiple sacks in his career.
Mack finished his rookie year with 76 combined tackles (59 solo), four sacks, a forced fumble, and three pass deflections in 16 games and starts. By the end of his rookie season, Mack was considered a candidate for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. He eventually finished in third place in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting behind defensive tackle Aaron Donald of the St. Louis Rams and linebacker C. J. Mosley of the Baltimore Ravens. However, Mack was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year by analysts on ESPN's NFL Live and was one of three linebackers selected to USA Football's sixth annual All-Fundamentals Team (the others being All-Pro veterans Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers and Tamba Hali of the Kansas City Chiefs). He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. He was ranked 49th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.
2015
In March 2015, the NFL amended the league's uniform numbering rules to allow linebackers to wear the numbers 40–49. As a result, Mack considered reverting from the number 52 to 46, the number he wore during his college career, but ultimately decided not to do so. In August 2015, Mack was named as the NFL's number one "making the leap" player. Before the start of the season, he shifted from linebacker to right defensive end and played at both positions.
During a Week 3 27–20 road victory over the Cleveland Browns, Mack recorded four tackles and his first two sacks of the season on Josh McCown. During a Week 13 18–13 road loss to the Detroit Lions, he had eight tackles and sacked Matthew Stafford twice. In the next game against the Tennessee Titans, Mack recorded six tackles and another two sacks on rookie Marcus Mariota during the 24–21 road victory.
During a Week 15 road matchup against the Denver Broncos, Mack sacked Brock Osweiler five times, tying a franchise record for sacks in a game previously set by defensive end Howie Long in 1983. This was Mack's third game in a row in which he recorded multiple sacks. The game, which the Raiders won 15–12, was the franchise's first victory over the Broncos since September 2011. The following week, Mack was voted to his first Pro Bowl, along with teammates safety Charles Woodson and fullback Marcel Reece.
Mack finished his second professional season with 77 combined tackles (57 solo), 15 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two pass deflections in 16 games and starts. At the end of the season, Mack became the first player in NFL history to make the AP All-Pro First Team at two positions in the same year: right defensive end and outside linebacker. He was ranked 13th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.
2016 During a narrow Week 4 28–27 road victory over the Ravens, Mack recorded six tackles and his first sack of the season on Joe Flacco. During Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mack had a team-high seven tackles and sacked Jameis Winston twice in 30–24 overtime road victory. In the next game against the Broncos, Mack recorded three tackles and sacked Trevor Siemian twice, including a strip sack that he recovered during the 30–20 victory. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Broncos.
During a Week 12 35–32 victory over the Panthers, Mack recorded his first NFL interception off a pass by Cam Newton and returned it six yards for his first NFL touchdown. Mack also forced a fumble from Newton in the final minute of the game to seal the win for the Raiders. Mack finished the game with an interception, a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown, making him the first player since Charles Woodson in 2009 to do so. Mack's performance earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He was also named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November, registering four sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pick-six. In the next game against the Buffalo Bills, Mack recorded seven tackles and a strip sack on Tyrod Taylor and recovered the football late in the fourth quarter to seal the 38–24 victory.
Mack finished the 2016 season with 73 combined tackles (54 solo), 11 sacks, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three passes defended, and an interception returned for a touchdown in 16 games and starts. He helped lead the Raiders to their first playoff appearance since 2002 and was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro. During the Wild Card Round against the Houston Texans, Mack recorded a team-high 11 tackles in the 27–14 road loss. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the 2016 season. Mack was ranked fifth by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 as the highest-ranked defensive lineman. He was also named the professional winner of the Butkus Award.
2017
On April 20, 2017, the Raiders picked up the fifth-year option on Mack's contract. Heading into his fourth season, Mack had his eyes set on the single-season sack record.
During a Week 2 45–20 victory over the Jets, Mack recorded four tackles and his first sack of the season on Josh McCown. In the next game against the Redskins, Mack recorded a team-high nine tackles and sacked Kirk Cousins once during the 27–10 road loss.
Following a Week 10 bye, Mack registered at least one sack in five consecutive games from Week 11 to 15. On December 19, 2017, Mack was named to his third straight Pro Bowl.
Mack finished the 2017 season with 78 combined tackles (61 solo), 10.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and three pass deflections in 16 games and starts. He was ranked 16th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.
Chicago Bears 2018
On September 1, 2018, following Mack's holdout through the entire preseason, the Raiders traded him, a 2020 second-round pick (Cole Kmet), and a conditional 2020 fifth-round draft pick (eventually turned into a 2020 seventh-round pick, Arlington Hambright) to the Chicago Bears for a 2019 first-round pick (24th overall, Josh Jacobs), a 2020 first-round pick (19th overall, Damon Arnette), a 2019 sixth-round pick (later traded along with Kelechi Osemele to the New York Jets), and a 2020 third-round pick (Bryan Edwards). Shortly after the trade, Mack signed a six-year extension with the Bears worth $141 million ($90 million guaranteed), becoming the highest-paid defender in NFL history.