Khalil Mack on Bears tenure: ‘It was a special time'

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Khalil Mack says he used common sense to know there was a chance the Bears could trade him this offseason. But when talking to the Chargers media for the first time on Wednesday, Mack admitted it was still a little surprising when he got the call from Los Angeles’ director of player personnel, JoJo Wooden.

“You don’t really ever anticipate it, even if you know it’s coming, or think it’s coming,” Mack said. “It was weird. It was weird to hear. But understanding the team, the coach, having a relationship with coach (Brandon) Staley, and knowing his mindset, knowing his passion for the game, I kinda went from bittersweet to kinda excited.”

What Mack was doing at the time he was traded made the situation even weirder.

“I was in the room with my fiancée and my son when Jo called,” Mack said. “I think we were watching “Bel Air,” or something like that, which is kind of a strange coincidence.”

During his introductory press conference, Mack reflected on his tenure in Chicago, noting how important it was to him, personally.

“It’s real special to me, especially that first year,” Mack said. “Having all the pieces, and all the coaching staff together, and everything like that. Having the players, from Kyle Fuller to Prince (Amukamara), to Eddie (Jackson), to (Adrian) Amos, to Akiem (Hicks), to Eddie Goldman, to Danny Trevathan, Leonard Floyd, Roquan (Smith). I could go on and on. Just knowing what that felt like out there, playing with those guys, it was a special time. Special moment in my life, those four years.”

Over those four years, Mack was consistently the most impactful player on the team. In 53 games, he sacked opposing quarterbacks 36 times, forced an incredible 14 fumbles, recovered six fumbles, and intercepted two passes. His 14 fumbles rank fifth-most in franchise history, behind Alex Brown, Lance Briggs, Richard Dent and Charles Tillman. However each of those guys played over 125 games for the Bears, to Mack’s only 53 games.

Mack was named to three Pro Bowls and was once recognized with First-Team All-Pro honors in Chicago. He also came in second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2018.

“I’ll never forget,” Mack said. “And I thank that organization for taking a chance on me.”

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