Los Angeles Chargers star motivating Khalil Mack to return

Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack is apparently pondering retirement following his team's loss to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.

Mack is set to hit free agency this offseason, and the nine-time Pro Bowler turns 34 in February.

However, safety Derwin James is evidently doing all that he can to convince Mack to return to Los Angeles for another season.

Chargers S Derwin James says he has already talked to OLB Khalil Mack to try to convince him to return next season. “We are headed in the right direction.” pic.twitter.com/SM33Dnx1Ui
— Fernando Ramirez (@RealFRamirez) January 12, 2025

James made it clear that the loss to the Texans has left a "bad taste" in the Chargers' mouths and that he is hoping that Mack uses that as motivation to come back for at least one more year.

It seems pretty clear that Mack has plenty left in the tank.

The veteran rattled off 39 tackles, six sacks, a couple of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and nine passes defended this season, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Yes, Mack did show some signs of statistical decline, as he racked up 74 tackles and 17 sacks in 2023, but Pro Football Focus still ranked him as the fifth-best edge rusher in the NFL in 2024, handing him a sparkling 90.4 overall grade.

Mack just completed his third season in Los Angeles after splitting the first eight years of his career between the Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears.

The University at Buffalo product has established himself as one of the most prolific pass rushers of his era, having accumulated 107.5 sacks since entering the league in 2014.

We'll see if Mack decides to give it another go in 2025.

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