Pass rushers are always in demand when the trade deadline approaches. Contenders know that pressure on the quarterback can change a playoff game, and few positions carry more value down the stretch. That is why veteran edge rushers tend to dominate deadline chatter, even late in their careers. This year, one of the biggest names being mentioned has a possible connection to Cleveland.
Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports surveyed people around the league about where the top trade candidates could land, and he named the Browns as a team that could make sense for Khalil Mack.
“One of the biggest mysteries of the run-up to this trading deadline is why the winless Los Angeles Chargers haven’t been more active. When or if they do, the 35-year-old Khalil Mack figures to be the most likely player to go because a lot of teams need pass rushers. Teams like the Bears, the Cowboys, or maybe even the Cleveland Browns make sense if they really think they have a shot in their division and the price is right,” Vacchiano wrote.
Mack’s résumé speaks for itself. The 5th overall pick in 2014 out of Buffalo has made 9 Pro Bowls, earned 3 1st team All-Pro selections and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. He has 116 career sacks and 36 forced fumbles, and he was named to the Hall of Fame All-2010s Team.
He is not slowing down as much as his age might suggest, either. Mack had 17 sacks as recently as 2023, and he has 3 sacks, 5 tackles for loss and 6 quarterback hits through 7 games this season for a Chargers team that has yet to win.
Any deal would be a short-term move. Mack considered retirement this offseason before returning on a 1-year, $18 million contract, and he will be a free agent in March. Mack is not the player he used to be but could still help as a rotational rusher with his snaps limited.
That kind of role could fit in Cleveland. Jared Verse is still looking for his first sack as a Brown, and the pass rush has cooled in recent weeks. Mack already has 3 sacks with the same number of quarterback hits Verse has, and he would give Mike Rutenberg another option on passing downs.
There are obstacles, though. Jim Harbaugh said this week that he wants Mack in Los Angeles and that Mack wants to be there. Mack said he is trying to stay where his feet are and block out the noise.
The bigger question is how serious the Browns are about the AFC North. At 5-3, they are 1 game behind the Steelers, but ESPN’s Football Power Index gives them just a 17.3% chance to make the playoffs.
A rental for a 35-year-old pass rusher would also be an unusual move for a team that traded Myles Garrett this offseason to get younger. It would likely only happen if the price is low.
If Los Angeles does decide to deal him before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline, the Browns could at least be in the conversation.
NEXT: Colin Cowherd Reveals Why He Will Be Watching Browns On Sunday
