Raiders Had Opportunity To Sign Khalil Mack For Less Than He Got From Bears

According to Jason La Canfora, the Raiders had been sitting a contract proposal from Khalil Mack and his representatives for over six months before they decided to trade him to the Bears last week.

La Canfora says that Mack’s proposal to the Raiders was actually cheaper in terms of annual salary and guarantees than the massive six-year, $141 million extension he got from Chicago following the trade.

However, La Canfora explains that negotiations between the Raiders and Mack never progressed beyond their initial exchange of proposals shortly after the 2017 season concluded.

League sources have told La Canfora that the Jets and 49ers were other two teams pushing the hardest to get Mack from the Raiders and both were prepared to sign him to similar extensions. Although, the Bears were the only team willing to trade two first-round picks, which led to the deal getting done.

Mack, 27, is a former first-round pick of the Raiders back in 2014. Mack played out the final year of his four-year, $18,677,002, but the Raiders picked up his fifth-year option last April.

The Raiders traded Mack to the Bears coming out of the preseason in a deal that included two first-round picks. Mack signed a six-year, $141 million extension that includes $90 million guaranteed and keeps him under team control through the 2024 season.

In 2017, Mack appeared in all 16 games for the Raiders and recorded 78 tackles, 10.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and three pass defenses. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 6 edge defender out of 1086 qualifying players.