Khalil Mack (Kah-leel; born February 22, 1991) is an American professional football outside linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Buffalo Bulls and was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft.
Mack set the all-time NCAA record for forced fumbles and is also tied for career tackles for loss in the NCAA. In 2015, he became the first player in NFL history to be selected first-team All-Pro at two different positions, defensive end and outside linebacker, in the same season. Three years later, Mack was traded to the Chicago Bears for two first-round draft picks and signed a six-year, $141 million extension, becoming the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history at the time. He was traded to the Chargers in 2022.
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Early life
Mack was raised by his parents: Yolanda, a teacher, and Sandy Mack Sr., a program specialist, in Fort Pierce, Florida. He has two brothers: Sandy Jr. and LeDarius. Mack's father introduced him to sports at age five. Mack took an early liking to baseball and basketball although he played Pop Warner football.
Mack attended Fort Pierce Westwood High School in Fort Pierce. For the majority of his athletic career, Mack had been relying on basketball to get him a college scholarship, but his plans were dashed by a tear in his patella tendon before his sophomore season. After this injury, his high school football coach, Waides Ashmon, recruited Mack to the sport, promising him and his parents that it would earn him a scholarship. Mack had played quarterback and was nicknamed "Bombshell Man." However, throwing the ball short was a major struggle for Mack, so he decided to become a linebacker.
In his only year of high school football, Mack had 140 tackles, including eight for a loss, and nine sacks. He was named third-team All-State in Florida, as well as first-team All-Area, and helped lead the Panthers to a district championship. Being a newcomer to the sport, Mack was rated as only a two-star recruit by Rivals.com and was not rated by ESPN's recruiting service. He received a scholarship from the University at Buffalo to play Division I football.
College career
After redshirting as a freshman in 2009, Mack broke into the Bulls' starting lineup and was one of the most productive defenders in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). He totaled 68 tackles, including 14+1⁄2 for loss, 4+1⁄2 sacks, 10 pass breakups, eight quarterback hurries, and two forced fumbles. Mack earned third-team all-conference honors. He chose to wear the uniform number 46 as a motivational reminder that his true potential was not being recognized – 46 was the overall rating assigned to him (out of a maximum of 99) in EA Sports' college football video game, NCAA Football 11.
Mack continued where he left off in 2010, with a dominant sophomore season. Mack led the team in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles, on the way to being named first-team All-MAC. He recorded 64 total tackles, including 20+1⁄2 for loss (third best in the nation), 5+1⁄2 sacks, one interception, two pass breakups, thirteen quarterback hurries, and five forced fumbles. Despite being suspended for the first game of the season following an altercation with teammate wide receiver Fred Lee, Mack set career highs in tackles (94), tackles for loss (21 – fourth in the nation), and sacks (8). He also recorded two pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, and four forced fumbles. Mack earned first-team all-conference honors for the second consecutive season.
Starting all 13 games, Mack recorded 100 tackles including 19 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, and forced five fumbles. Mack won the CFPA Linebacker Trophy for the 2013 season, and was named the 2013 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Bull to win the award in Buffalo's history within the MAC (1999–present). He was also named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press (AP). Mack finished tied for first for the NCAA in career tackles for loss with 75 and set a new record for forced fumbles with 16. Buffalo's independent student newspaper, The Spectrum, also ranked Mack as the best Buffalo football player in the Division I history of the program. Mack was elected to the University at Buffalo Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2024.
Professional career
Pre-draft
Leading up to the 2014 NFL draft, Mack was projected as a high first-round pick in many mock drafts.
Oakland Raiders
Mack was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Oakland Raiders, making him the highest selected Buffalo player ever, and the only one selected in the first round. Previously, the highest selected player from Buffalo was defensive tackle Gerry Philbin, who was selected with the 33rd overall pick by the New York Jets in 1964. Mack chose to switch from his college uniform number, 46, to 52 in order to comply with the NFL's numbering rules. After signing a four-year contract worth $18.67 million guaranteed, Mack made his NFL debut in the season-opener against the Jets, recording six tackles during the 19–14 loss. During Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals, he recorded a season-high 11 tackles in the 24–13 loss. During a Week 11 13–6 road loss to the San Diego Chargers, Mack recorded five tackles and his first career sack on Philip Rivers. Three weeks later against the San Francisco 49ers, Mack recorded two tackles and sacked Colin Kaepernick twice in the 24–13 victory. This was Mack's first game with multiple sacks in his career.
Mack finished his rookie year with 76 combined tackles (59 solo), four sacks, a forced fumble, and three pass deflections in 16 games and starts. By the end of his rookie season, Mack was considered a candidate for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. He eventually finished in third place in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting behind defensive tackle Aaron Donald of the St. Louis Rams and linebacker C. J. Mosley of the Baltimore Ravens. However, Mack was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year by analysts on ESPN's NFL Live and was one of three linebackers selected to USA Football's sixth annual All-Fundamentals Team (the others being All-Pro veterans Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers and Tamba Hali of the Kansas City Chiefs). He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. He was ranked 49th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.
In March 2015, the NFL amended the league's uniform numbering rules to allow linebackers to wear the numbers 40–49. As a result, Mack considered reverting from the number 52 to 46, the number he wore during his college career, but ultimately decided not to do so. In August 2015, Mack was named as the NFL's number one "making the leap" player. Before the start of the season, he shifted from linebacker to right defensive end and played at both positions.
During a Week 3 27–20 road victory over the Cleveland Browns, Mack recorded four tackles and his first two sacks of the season on Josh McCown. During a Week 13 18–13 road loss to the Detroit Lions, he had eight tackles and sacked Matthew Stafford twice. In the next game against the Tennessee Titans, Mack recorded six tackles and another two sacks on rookie Marcus Mariota during the 24–21 road victory.
Chicago Bears
On September 1, 2018, following Mack's holdout through the entire preseason, the Raiders traded him, a 2020 second-round pick (Cole Kmet), and a conditional 2020 fifth-round draft pick (eventually turned into a 2020 seventh-round pick, Arlington Hambright) to the Chicago Bears for a 2019 first-round pick (24th overall, Josh Jacobs), a 2020 first-round pick (19th overall, Damon Arnette), a 2019 sixth-round pick (later traded along with Kelechi Osemele to the New York Jets), and a 2020 third-round pick (Bryan Edwards). Shortly after the trade, Mack signed a six-year extension with the Bears worth $141 million ($90 million guaranteed), becoming the highest-paid defender in NFL history.
Mack made his Bears debut on Sunday Night Football in the season-opener against the Packers. During the second quarter, he recorded a strip-sack on backup quarterback DeShone Kizer, who was playing in relief of Aaron Rodgers due to a knee injury. Later in the same quarter, he intercepted a pass from Kizer and returned it for a 27-yard touchdown. The Bears narrowly lost on the road 24–23 after Rodgers returned. Mack became the first player since 1982 to record a sack, forced fumble, a fumble recovery, interception, and touchdown in one half. It was also his second time recording a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery, interception and touchdown in a single game. In his second game with the Bears, Mack had four tackles and strip-sacked Russell Wilson once during a 24–17 Monday Night Football victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Mack continued his excellent play the following week, recording five tackles and a strip-sack on Josh Rosen in a narrow 16–14 road victory over the Cardinals. This was the first time a player recorded strip-sacks in three straight games since Mack did it himself in 2016. During a Week 4 48–10 victory over the Buccaneers, Mack had four tackles and another strip-sack. He became the first player to record sacks and forced fumbles in four straight games since Colts outside linebacker Robert Mathis did so in 2005. Mack also became the first player to record forced fumbles in the first four games of a season since Jaguars defensive end Tony Brackens did so in 1999. Mack was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September after recording 17 tackles, five sacks, four forced fumbles, two pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and an interception returned for a touchdown. He was the first Bears player to win this award since cornerback Charles Tillman in October 2012.
During a Week 6 31–28 overtime road loss to the Miami Dolphins, Mack recorded two tackles before suffering an ankle injury that resulted in him missing the first game of his career two weeks later against the Jets. Despite Mack's absence, the Bears limited the Jets to 207 total yards, including just 57 rushing, as Chicago won 24–10. He returned in a Week 10 Thanksgiving matchup against the Lions; in the latter's 34–22 Bears victory, Mack had five tackles and sacked Matthew Stafford twice.
Los Angeles Chargers
On March 16, 2022, the Bears traded Mack to the Chargers and a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft (Scott Matlock) in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft (Jaquan Brisker). This move reunited him with Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, who served as the outside linebackers coach in Mack's first year with the Chicago Bears.
In his Chargers debut against his former team, the Raiders, Mack recorded three sacks and a forced fumble. The game marked his first three-plus-sack outing since Week 14 of the 2015 season, and Mack became only the fifth non-rookie to have three-plus sacks in a debut with a new team since individual sacks were first recorded in 1982. In Week 9, Mack had two tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery during a 20–17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. He finished the 2022 season with eight sacks, 50 tackles, two passes defended, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 17 games and starts. Mack was ranked 38th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023.
During Week 4 against the Raiders, Mack recorded a Chargers franchise record six sacks, one shy of tying the NFL record, held by Derrick Thomas. Mack was also named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his spectacular performance. Mack was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November. During Week 17 against the Broncos, he recorded his 100th career sack, becoming the 19th player (since sacks were officially recorded in 1982) to reach the mark in his first 10 seasons.
Mack finished the 2023 season with a career-high 17 sacks, 74 tackles, 10 passes defended, and five forced fumbles in 17 games and starts. He was ranked 29th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024.
In the 2024 season, Mack had six sacks, 39 tackles, nine passes defended, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in 16 games and starts. He earned Pro Bowl honors in the 2024 season. Mack was ranked 78th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025.
On March 13, 2025, Mack signed a one-year, $16 million contract extension with the Chargers.
During Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Mack attempted to tackle Raiders receiver Tre Tucker in the first quarter, but suffered an injury after his hand was caught between Tucker and teammate Troy Dye and was ruled out for the rest of the game. On September 17, Mack was placed on injured reserve after being diagnosed with a dislocated elbow. He was activated on October 18, ahead of the Week 7 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
Career statistics
Career highlights
Awards and honors
NFL
NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2016)
3× First-team All-Pro (2015, 2016, 2018)
Second-team All-Pro (2020)
9× Pro Bowl (2015–2020, 2022–2024)
NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
PFWA All-Rookie Team (2014)
2× Butkus Award (pro) (2016, 2018)
SN Defensive Player of the Year (2016)
100 Greatest Bears of All-Time
100 sacks club
10× NFL Top 100 — 49th (2015), 13th (2017), 5th (2017), 16th (2018), 3rd (2019), 19th (2020), 23rd (2021), 38th (2023), 29th (2024), 78th (2025)
College
MAC Defensive Player of the Year (2013)
Jack Lambert Trophy (2013)
First-team All-American (2013)
3× First-team All-MAC (2011–2013)
Records
Buffalo Bulls career records
Most tackles for loss (75)
Most sacks (28.5)
NCAA records
Tied for first in tackles for loss (75)
Personal life
Mack taught himself to play guitar as a freshman at the University at Buffalo. His reputation as a singer led his Raiders teammates to attempt to goad him into singing R. Kelly and Usher songs. Mack is a fan of musicians Tim McGraw and Hanson.
Mack is an active Christian and spent much of his youth attending a church where his father and mother both served as deacons.
In 2017, Mack's younger brother LeDarius joined his alma mater, the University at Buffalo, after two years at ASA College in Miami. LeDarius joined his brother on the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2020, and was later signed to the practice squad.