The Los Angeles Chargers are carrying real momentum into 2026, and the biggest reason the defense has so much buzz is Khalil Mack.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport came away from Chargers camp convinced the edge rusher is lining up for a huge year. “When I was at Chargers camp, the buzz I got from Khalil Mack was that he's getting ready to have an insane season,” Rapoport said.
That kind of expectation makes sense for a Chargers team trying to make a run in the AFC West. To have a shot at the division, Los Angeles has to hold up on both sides of the ball, but the defense is the part that has to do the heavy lifting against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, along with Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos.
The Chargers have reasons to feel good about that side of the roster. Chris O'Leary is in place as defensive coordinator, and Los Angeles has enough talent around him to make noise. Mack is a huge piece of that puzzle after re-signing on a 1-year, $18 million deal.
Rapoport liked what he saw from Mack up close, and he didn’t sound like someone expecting a slow fade from a veteran in his mid-30s. “Based on the work he put in in camp, it looks like Khalil Mack is getting ready to go off and kind of turn back the clock a little bit. Which if that is the case for this really, really, really good Chargers defense, then he might not even be close to being done, despite going into his upper 30s,” Rapoport added.
Mack is 35, but the production still plays. Last season, he appeared in 12 games, missing four because of a brutal elbow injury and then sitting out the finale. Even with the missed time, he still finished with 32 tackles, six tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.
He also fit nicely alongside Tuli Tuipulotu, giving the Chargers a pass-rush pairing that can wreck an offense when both are healthy. If that combination stays on the field, it has a chance to be one of the most dangerous edge tandems in the league.
And the Mack conversation is part of a bigger picture in Los Angeles. Justin Herbert gives the Chargers a quarterback who can take over with his arm and his legs, and with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel now in the fold, Herbert could be headed for his best season yet.
For a team that has been close but not quite over the line in the postseason, the setup feels promising. If Mack stays healthy and plays the full 17 games, the Chargers have a real chance to lean on their defense, make another playoff push and maybe finally get all the way to a Lombardi Trophy chase.
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