About a year ago, Khalil Mack, a player for the Los Angeles Chargers, thought about quitting football. The Chargers had a tough loss in the playoffs, and it hit Mack hard. At that time, he had just finished his ninth season in the NFL and was turning 32. He wasn’t happy with how he played – only two sacks in the last 11 regular-season games.
The playoff defeat made Mack really consider hanging up his cleats. He played all 17 games in the 2022 season, even making it to the Pro Bowl, but he had fewer than 10 sacks for the fourth year in a row. He felt like he wasn’t making the impact he wanted in games. The emotional toll of the loss almost led him to retire, but his wife talked him out of it with a firm “Oh, hell no.”
𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: #Chargers pass rusher Khalil Mack, who has 15 sacks this season, revealed that he nearly retired after the team’s 27 point playoff meltdown against the #Jaguars, he told @TheAthleticNFL
Mack has 15 sacks but also 5 forced fumbles this season, and is half a… pic.twitter.com/OLkOWP3o6s
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 8, 2023
Now in his 10th season, Mack is killing it in the NFL. He leads the league with 15 sacks, five forced fumbles, and 14 tackles for loss. He even joined the 100-sack club in a game against the New England Patriots. Despite what people might think about his age, Mack believes it doesn’t matter as long as you love the game and put in the work.
But here’s the twist – while Mack is doing great individually, the Chargers are struggling as a team in 2023. They’re two games out of a playoff spot, with a 5-7 record. The defense is not doing so well, allowing a lot of points and yards. The Chargers need to win most of their remaining games to have a shot at the playoffs. So, Mack’s decision to stick around might just help them make it to the postseason again, something they haven’t done in a while.
