The Chargers are bringing Khalil Mack back for another run, and the veteran edge rusher says the fit was never really in doubt. Entering his 13th season, Mack signed a one-year deal this offseason to stay in Los Angeles, and he made it clear the decision was about comfort, belief, and the people around him.
“Ultimately, this is where me and my family want to be this year,” Mack said, via Eric Smith of the team’s site. “Playing high-level football and knowing this group of guys - I said that last year and the year before - but knowing this group of guys we have in this locker room, I couldn’t really see being anywhere else.”
That same Chargers room includes Tuli Tuipulotu, who is now in the final year of his rookie contract. He’s leaving the business side to his agent and keeping his focus on camp and the locker room.
“I just let my agent, let the guys handle that,” Tuipulotu said. “I’m just trying to be here with the team and be close with the guys.”
Mack also had praise for first-round EDGE Akheem Mesidor, pointing to the traits that don’t always show up on a stat sheet.
“There’s a lot of intangibles there, man. I’m excited to see him with the pads on,” Mack said.
In Kansas City, Chiefs DE R Mason Thomas said the team kept its draft interest under wraps better than he expected. Thomas said the communication was limited before draft day, which made the call from a Missouri area code a surprise.
“I would’ve never known a Kansas City, Missouri, area code would call my phone on draft day. They didn’t really talk as much,” Thomas said, via Pro Football Talk.
“I had a formal meeting with them, and that was the first meeting of the Combine. After that we didn’t talk.
So I guess they’re low-key. They like to keep it quiet.”
Out in Las Vegas, Raiders first-round QB Fernando Mendoza is already soaking in the chance to learn from Tom Brady. Mendoza said the relationship still feels unreal, but he’s trying to approach it the right way and not waste the opportunity.
“It’s surreal,” Mendoza said, via the team’s website. “It’s surreal.
However, you know, he’s been such a great resource and he’s been, from a young age, he’s been a big idol of mine and then now it’s, OK, Tom is a human being. Yes, he’s an exceptional human being, but he’s a human being.”
“So, take what you can, learn from him, and make sure that you value that relationship, rather than looking at him with googly eyes every second. He wants to be treated as a human being and he is, like I said, an exceptional human being, and he’s someone that has a lot of characteristics and values that I look up to as a football player and [as] a character outside of football. But having that relationship is surreal and if you would have told me 10 years ago, I never would have believed you.”
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
The Chargers came into camp with a revamped look inside, plugging Tyler Biadasz in at center and Cole Strange into one of the guard spots as they try to settle Justin Herberts protection before the season gets rolling. Even with those moves in place, the line is still very much a work in progress, and the competition around the other guard job has become one of the quieter but more important camp battles on the roster.
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 🡒]