The Chicago Bears exceeded most expectations this season. Not many people saw them making a deep postseason run, much less as the No. 1 seed in the NFC North after losing the first two games of the Ben Johnson era.
The Bears are clearly trending in the right direction. General manager Ryan Poles has gone to great lengths to fix the offense. Now, it's time he does the same on the other side of the field and gives defensive coordinator Dennis Allen something to work with.
Notably, that could come in the form of a former Bears star: Khalil Mack.
Khalil Mack's Return to Chicago Might be a Feasible Option
The Los Angeles Chargers' coaching staff suffered a big blow when defensive coordinator Jesse Minter left to be the new head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. While Mack could follow him to the AFC North, the Ravens' defense doesn't have that much talent to work with, which isn't the case in the Windy City.
It's also worth noting that playing under Minter didn't exactly help Mack. The nine-time Pro Bowler went from amassing 17.0 sacks in 2023 to only recording a combined 11.5 in the last two seasons. Sure, age played a factor in that regression, too, but at the same time, it also proves that re-linking with Minter isn't a guaranteed boost.
The Bears will probably spend most of their resources to bolster their front seven. Even so, they have a promising one-two punch in Austin Booker and Montez Sweat. That, plus the familiarity with the city and the organization, might be enough to lure the former Las Vegas Raiders star back to Illinois.
It's also worth noting that Mack has already expressed a desire to win a title earlier this offseason. After Chicago was only two wins away from a Super Bowl appearance, it's easy to see why Mack might think he can accomplish that goal with a Bears reunion.
Mack played four years in Chicago after that shocking trade from the Raiders, and he became an instrumental part of the stout defense that carried the Bears to the NFC North divisional pennant in 2018. Of course, at 34 years old, Mack is no longer the game-wrecker he used to be. He had just 5.5 sacks in 12 games and struggled with an elbow injury that forced him to miss a month of action.
Instead, the Bears don't even need him to be the dominant force he was in his heyday. They need him to be a veteran leader and a mentor to their current pass-rush unit, and anything he can give them on the field will be just a plus.
The Bears will play a No. 1 team schedule next season, and they will be under a lot of pressure to show that this year's success wasn't a fluke. They play in one of the toughest divisions in football, and with such a young roster, it certainly won't hurt to lure as many proven veterans like Mack as they can get their hands on.