NFL Rumors: Khalil Mack Likely To Miss Games As Stalemate With Raiders Continues, ‘Yahoo Sports’ Reports

The stalemate between the Oakland Raiders and Khalil Mack is likely to stretch into the regular season, a new report claims.

The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year has been away from the team as he seeks a contract extension, which has now extended through three-quarters of the preseason. A new report from Yahoo! Sports claims that there is no real end in sight, with Mack likely to still be on the sidelines when the season starts in a little over a week.

“As of Monday evening, sources said both sides remained entrenched in the same positions that have contributed to a stalemate in negotiations since February: with the Raiders declining to offer Mack a contract extension and with Mack seeking a long-term deal that would make him the NFL’s highest paid defensive player. One source said there have been no meaningful talks between the two sides in months and that the situation has devolved to a deadlocked ‘pay him or trade him’ conversation.”

Mack has one year remaining on his rookie contract, and will reportedly stay away from the team until he gets an extended deal. As SB Nation reported, Mack is looking for something “in excess” of $65 million in guaranteed money, which would be the most ever for a defensive player. There has not been a lot of engagement between both sides to date, CBS Sports noted, and Mack has yet to even meet new head coach Jon Gruden.

There have been rumors that there are a handful of teams interested in trading for Khalil Mack, though it’s not clear if the Raiders are taking any of these offers seriously. The belief is that it would take a big haul for a team to convince the Raiders to part ways with Mack.

“I think the range is a 1, 3 and 7 on the low end to two 1s on the high end. A lot also depends on how high the 1 is. Maybe it’s a 1 and 2 if it’s fairly high, or two 1s if it’s lower,” said former Eagles president and Browns CEO Joe Banner, via CBS Sports. “Maybe a team would be smart to include a 1 with a quality player. Or a 1, a middle pick and a quality player. He (Mack) is as good or better than any of the players we have seen involved in these kind of trades.”

Raiders 'likely' to be without Khalil Mack vs. Rams in Week 1 https://t.co/tpyFwOFkf7

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) August 28, 2018

Whatever is happening between Khalil Mack and the Oakland Raiders, there isn’t much official indication either way. Neither side has said much about how the negotiations have gone or just how long Mack could be gone from the team.