Khalil Mack is heading into 2026 with a rare kind of pressure for a player this accomplished: not the pressure to prove he belongs, but the pressure to finally finish the story.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell put the Chargers veteran edge rusher on his list of NFL players facing the most pressure next season, alongside Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward and Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan. Mack is the oldest of that group’s veterans at 35, and he’s entering his 13th season in the league and fifth in Los Angeles.
Retirement was very much part of the conversation for Mack, but he made it clear in late July that he wasn’t ready to walk away.
“I was leaning toward coming back the whole time,” Mack said in late July. “It’s considering this stage of life, my kids, you know what I mean?
It’s that balance of being a dad and a husband and still trying to follow your dreams. I still don’t feel like I’m in a position to do both.
I still spend time with my kids and my wife, but that’s the balance of football. I feel like you still get to spend time, but it takes time to figure out that part out.
“I don’t want to give up on my dream.”
That dream has already built a résumé most players can only chase. In 12 seasons, Mack has piled up nine Pro Bowls, three First-team All-Pro selections, the 2016 AP Defensive Player of the Year award and a spot on the Hall of Fame All-2010s Team.
What’s missing is the one thing that still hangs over him: a Super Bowl. He has never won one in his 12 NFL seasons, and he still hasn’t experienced a playoff victory.
Now the hope is that changes in 2026. The Chargers are trying to snap their own postseason drought after going without a playoff win since 2018, even though they’ve made the playoffs in three of the last four seasons.
Los Angeles has the pieces to make a serious run, and Mack will be right in the middle of it, trying to do his part to push the Chargers forward.
In Other News...
Saints Suddenly Have A Defensive Tackle Battle Worth Watching
The Saints went into the offseason with real questions along the interior of their defense, especially after Bryan Bresees season-ending injury left the defensive tackle room thinner than expected. Drafting Christen Miller in the second round was part of the answer, and the rookie has done his part by standing out in the preseason and making the conversation about the starting lineup a lot more interesting than it looked a few months ago.
Davon Godchaux still brings the veteran presence New Orleans wanted, but the competition around him has turned into one of the more watchable camp battles on the roster. After the 53-man roster deadline, the Saints added Colby Wooden to give the group more depth, a move that underscores how much the team still wants to protect itself at a position where one injury can change the entire rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Just Addressed A Roster Concern Fans Couldn't Ignore
The Saints took a practical step to shore up a thin spot in the secondary by adding Decamerion Richardson, giving them another body at outside cornerback after the group had been stretched alarmingly tight. With Isaac Yiadom gone, New Orleans was left leaning on a top three of Kool-Aid McKinstry, Quincy Riley and Martin Emerson, while backups Mike Reid and Jayden Price were handling other responsibilities more than true cornerback work.
Richardson brings the kind of profile teams like in this situation, with size, athleticism and special teams experience that can help him stick while the defense sorts out its depth chart. The move doesnt settle the longer-term question of how the Saints want to arrange the back end of the defense, but it at least gives them another option at a position where every available corner has become worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Why No 9 Still Means Everything To Saints Fans
Before Drew Brees turned No. 9 into a Saints landmark, the jersey had already made a slow trip through New Orleans history, worn by players such as Happy Feller, George Winslow, Tommy Kramer and Jake Delhomme. None of them came close to leaving the kind of imprint Brees did, but the number was already part of the teams story long before he arrived in 2006 and made it feel permanent.
From then until 2020, Brees tied the number to the most successful era the Saints have ever known, piling up records and milestones that still define how fans talk about the franchise. His 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction only deepened the place he holds in New Orleans, which is why No. 9 still carries so much weight for Saints fans even now. [Read more 🡒]