Khalil Mack has been around long enough to know the value of a good example. At 13 NFL seasons in, with five of them now in Los Angeles, he has become exactly that for the Chargers’ younger players - a veteran voice, a steady presence and, when needed, a teacher.
That showed up again after Wednesday’s practice, when Mack spent time with fourth-round rookie offensive lineman Travis Burke. Burke asked what Mack had noticed and what he could improve, and the veteran laid out three things for him to work on.
"Whatever I can share, I'm going to share because I want them to be the best version of themselves," Mack said.
It was the kind of moment that tracks with the way Mack has operated since arriving in the league. He said he remembers leaning on veterans like former Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson and defensive lineman Justin Tuck when he was a rookie, and that those relationships helped shape him.
"Just having those examples for me early on, I feel like it set the catalyst for my career," Mack said.
Now Mack is the one setting that tone. He has 113 career sacks over 12 NFL seasons, and Chargers first-year defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary sees him as far more than just a pass rusher.
"Priceless,” O’Leary said of Mack. “I’ve said it before, but he's the flag bearer of our culture on defense.
He leads the way with his actions. When it's time for him to say something, he'll say something, then you got a group of edges in that room that all they're doing is watching everything he does, listen to everything he says.”
That influence reaches the newest faces too. Rookie edge rusher Akheem Mesidor said he was smiling during his first Zoom call after being drafted because he knew he would get to learn from Mack. The next day, after meeting him in person, he was already asking questions and trying to absorb whatever he could.
"Just guys pouring into you so you that way you don't make certain mistakes along the way," Mack said.
The same kind of pull existed for Tuli Tuipulotu when he entered the league. Tuipulotu, now in his fourth season with the Chargers, was excited when he was drafted because Mack was already on the roster. After putting up a career-high 13 sacks last season, Tuipulotu is now a hold-in while seeking a new contract, and Mack said they have talked about how to handle situations like that.
"It is unique," Mack said. "When you're in that role, you want to be the guy that you wanted to see early on.
Kind of have those conversations that you wanted to have early on in your career. Whether it was financial or different conversations.”
Mack also admitted that retirement has crossed his mind at different points since being traded to the Chargers, especially after the team’s three Wild Card playoff losses. Still, he made it clear on Thursday that he is not done. Winning a Super Bowl remains the unfinished business.
While Mack continues to anchor the defense, Justin Herbert is giving the offense its own early-camp jolt. By the second day of training camp, the Chargers’ attack was already showing signs of coming together, and Herbert was at the center of it.
In 7-on-7 work on Thursday morning, Herbert dropped back and delivered a deep ball to Keaton Mitchell that landed right in the running back’s hands. The accuracy carried over into 11-on-11 drills, where Herbert’s incompletions came only on drops and his throws consistently arrived on time and in stride.
He connected three times on crossing routes over the middle, including a tight-window throw to Quentin Johnston while the receiver was double-covered. Herbert then zipped a pass to second-year receiver Tre Harris, who secured it cleanly with his hands. The best throw may have come moments later, when Ladd McConkey raced across the field, his defender slipped, and McConkey made the catch in stride with plenty of room to run if the session had been live.
It’s only the second day of camp and everyone is still in shorts, but that kind of comfort from Herbert is exactly the sort of sign the Chargers want to see.
Linebacker Daiyan Henley said Thursday that going against this offense every day will help the defense, especially with Mike McDaniel’s scheme built from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree and bringing looks the Chargers do not usually see.
“I want to say that shout out the offense and the looks,” Henley said. “It's only been two days, and we've seen looks that we don't get to see as often because of this new scheme that they have cooked up. So I just love what they're doing for us, and they're helping us in so many different ways.”
In Other News...
Chargers Added Two Overlooked Pieces That Could Change This Offense
The Chargers spent the offseason looking for small roster moves that could pay off in a big way, and two of them have already drawn outside attention. Fullback Alec Ingold and tight end Charlie Kolar were both mentioned by ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen as among the leagues most impactful additions, a nod to how much value can come from players who do the dirty work as much as the box score work.
Ingold gives the offense another layer in the run game and more flexibility in personnel groupings, while Kolar brings the kind of blocking presence that can still threaten defenses as a receiver. For an offense built around creating favorable matchups, those are the sort of additions that can quietly shape how often the Chargers stay ahead of schedule and keep pressure off the rest of the unit. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Guard Battle Suddenly Puts Justin Herbert's Protection In Focus
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Rookie Jake Slaughter was part of the plan, but the early returns have kept the door open for others to make a push, including free agent Kayode Awosika and veteran Matt Pipkins, who has been getting work at left guard. The Chargers are still sorting through who fits best where, and the fact that several players are being used as emergency depth across the line says plenty about how unsettled things remain in front of Herbert. [Read more 🡒]
Khalil Mack Just Made A Huge Chargers Decision
Khalil Macks decision to come back on a one-year deal gives the Chargers a familiar anchor on the edge and a veteran voice in a defense that wants to build on what it already has. He also sounds bought in on what the franchise is trying to do next, which matters for a team that has spent plenty of time trying to sort out its identity and stay competitive in a loaded division.
Around him, the rest of the AFC West is still full of moving parts. Tuli Tuipulotu is concentrating on training camp while his agent handles the contract side, and the Chiefs and Raiders are each dealing with their own development stories at different spots on the roster. For the Chargers, though, Mack staying put keeps one of the most important pieces in place while the bigger question remains how far this group can go with him back in the fold. [Read more 🡒]