How ‘vibes’ will help Chargers’ Khalil Mack determine if he retires or returns

The L.A. Chargers are out of the NFL Playoffs after a loss to the New England Patriots. Chargers linebacker and veteran Khalil Mack is facing a crossroads. He is pondering his future with the team, as well as his role in the NFL moving forward.

Mack says he is thinking about retirement, but nothing is set in stone at this time.

“Not trying to make that decision right now like I’ve almost done before,” Mack said, per the team. “Trying to stay as present as possible, stay prayed up, make a decision based on how I’m feeling and how my family is feeling, the vibes.

“If the vibes are high, the decisions will be made,” Mack added. “Just figuring it out day by day.”

Mack is slated to hit free agency this offseason.

Khalil Mack battled injuries this season for the Chargers

Mack had an elbow injury that slowed him down during the 2025 season. He admitted that injury affected his frame of mind.

“I feel like when the elbow happened early in the year, it kind of took something off of the elements of what I am and who I am as a player,” Mack said. “I still kept seeing the chips, the slides and all the help. That’s a part of the game, that’s been the past 10, 11 years of my career.

“It’s just adapting and getting used to the elbow brace and all the certain things but not making no excuses and giving everything I got to help the team,” Mack added.

The Chargers suffered a 16-3 playoff defeat to the Patriots in the Wild Card Round. It was disappointing to Mack, but the linebacker says he doesn’t want to use that emotion to affect his decision about his future.

“You feel different in the sense of understanding how much time do you really have left to play at a certain level and what is that going to look like moving forward,” Mack said. “You don’t want to make a decision based on how you feel in the present moment, especially after a tough loss. It’s about taking time and taking that step back.”

Mack now has 113 sacks in his long, illustrious NFL career. He posted 5.5 sacks during the 2025 season.

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