El SEGUNDO, Calif -- Los Angeles Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack, who mulled retirement and considered other teams as a free agent in the offseason, said Wednesday that re-signing with the team was a "no-brainer."
"Why not here, man?" Mack said speaking after Chargers minicamp on Wednesday.
While Mack, 34, said the decision to stay in L.A. was easy, he admitted to looking at other options. Ultimately, the decision to return to the Chargers made the most sense beyond just the money, he said.
"I had to be fair in the approach to things and not making it about just finances and all the different things," said Mack, who signed a one-year, $18 million fully guaranteed contract. "I tried to make it more so just about winning ball games."
Mack, a Defensive Player of the Year winner (2016) and one of the most decorated outside linebackers in NFL history, has had little team success. He has lost all five playoff appearances in his career. The most recent loss came last season in the Charger's 32-12 wild-card round defeat to the Houston Texans.
Mack said that his playoff record and pursuit of a championship is what brought him back for his 12th season.
"Just not wanting to give up on that goal and that ambition that I have ever since I stepped into the league," Mack said. "I knew I wanted to play in important games and win a Super Bowl."
Mack had a dip in production in 2024 for the Chargers, finishing with six sacks, tied for the second-lowest total of his career. However, the dip was likely related to injuries. Mack strained both groins in Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns. He missed one game against the Cincinnati Bengals because of the injury and played just 30 snaps over two others while managing it.
Still, Mack led all Chargers players with a 13% pass rush win rate en route to his ninth Pro Bowl. He was a bright spot in Los Angeles' playoff loss to the Houston Texans, finishing with two sacks and five quarterback pressures.
"Man, it means everything," Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said of having Mack back. "Khalil is one of the best ever do it, but really just the type of person he is, the type of leadership that he brings.
"I have great appreciation for how he operates. I take things from him every day."
Mack returns to the Chargers for his fourth season but his first without fellow outside linebacker Joey Bosa, who was released and signed with the Buffalo Bills. Still, the Chargers have third-year outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, who led the team with 8.5 sacks last season, and veteran Bud Dupree.
Mack is expecting a big year from Tuipulotu.
"He's been a star essentially for the past three years, so I don't think it's going to be any different," Mack said of Tuipulotu. "Just knowing how he's approaching the game this year, just how detailed he is and technique everything. It's not going to be no surprise to me when he's a 10, 12-plus sack guy."