Khalil Mack considering retirement after playoff loss

Nine-time Pro Bowl linebacker Khalil Mack is unsure if his football career will continue after the Los Angeles Chargers were eliminated by the Houston Texans in the wild-card round Saturday.

"It's a lot of different thoughts in my head right now," the Chargers pass-rusher said, according to ESPN's Kris Rhim. "I can't really speak on a definitive decision in terms of what I'm going to do because I don't know if I'm going to play football moving forward, so there's some things I gotta talk through with my wife, spend some time with my kids, and try not to make a rash decision after a loss."

Mack, who turns 34 in February, played the last three seasons for the Chargers, but his contract expires this offseason, which will make him a free agent for the first time in his NFL career. He appeared in 16 games in 2024, registering 39 tackles (six for loss), six sacks, and two forced fumbles. The former first-round pick also had six tackles and two sacks versus Houston.

Mack is only one season removed from a spectacular 17-sack campaign in 2023. If he decides to play another season, he believes the Chargers still offer him a great shot at competing for a Super Bowl.

"As long as Justin Herbert is your quarterback. You got (safety) Derwin James and all these guys that love the game of football and Jim Harbaugh coaching?" Mack said. "You know you always have a chance to win. Yeah, that's a no-brainer."

The 2016 Defensive Player of the Year began his NFL career with the then-Oakland Raiders, who drafted him fifth overall in 2014. The Raiders traded Mack to the Chicago Bears in 2018, and he appeared in 53 games for the Bears before being dealt to Los Angeles in 2022.

A member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, Mack appeared in 167 games across his 11 seasons in the league. The Buffalo product has posted 107.5 career sacks, the second most among active players.