Khalil Mack eyeing GOAT status: 'I want to be the best to play the game'

When Khalil Mack finishes his career, he wants to be viewed as one of the most dominant players to have ever stepped onto an NFL field.

The Chicago Bears star said Wednesday it's his goal to emulate the careers of his idols Lawrence Taylor and Derrick Thomas when asked about coach Ted Monachino's comments about Mack wanting to be the greatest ever.

"He asked me what I wanted to do, and what I wanted to be. I want to be the best. I want to be the best to play the game," Mack said, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "We're trying to work toward that."

"There's so many greats. You've got LT, you've got Derrick Thomas, you've got special, special guys who have played this position. All you can do is chase," he continued.

Mack is already on pace for a Hall of Fame career. Since he was taken fifth overall in the 2014 draft, the linebacker's 53 sacks are the sixth-most in the league, according to Pro Football Reference.

Of the five players ahead of Mack in sacks, Von Miller is the closest to his 350 total tackles with 284 in the past five years, highlighting the four-time Pro Bowler's rare combination of elite run-defense skills and pass-rushing abilities.

While the 28-year-old's goals are lofty, he's set to spend the rest of his prime as the focal point of Chicago's talented defense - which ranked No. 1 in scoring a year ago - after inking a six-year, $141-million deal in September 2018.