Chicago Bears defender Khalil Mack sounds like he’s planning to wreak havoc on the NFC North in 2020. JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports Chicago wrote on Saturday that Mack talked to the media for the first time since December of 2019 — and based on the way he spoke, it sounded like he was preparing for a very big fall. In fact, the analyst said the defensive star sounded like “he’s ready to dominate.” More than that, the way he talked convinced the writer that he’s going to help lead the Bears to a better season than most experts have predicted.
Stankevitz said he’s heard from coaches and teammates who said that Mack seemed like he’s had an edge to him this spring and summer. He continued that the edge seemed to add a little more motivation than usual for a guy who’s always been incredibly driven. The analyst said that in hearing Mack talk, that edge, motivation, and drive were absolutely apparent in a way he didn’t understand until he heard and saw it in person.
Mack was talking the media while working out on a Peloton. The workout came almost immediately after the Bears had their longest practice of fall camp.
To some degree, Mack’s drive to keep working when he could have sat down on the couch and taken a break went a long way in convincing the analyst of the defender’s drive.
When Mack did speak, the first thing he reportedly talked about was how unhappy he was with his performance in 2019.
“I wasn’t good enough,” the defensive lineman said.
“Wasn’t good enough at all.”
His 8.5 sacks were his lowest total since he had four in 2014, his rookie year. His 14 quarterback hits were similarly a non-rookie-season career low, and the same goes for his 70 total pressures.
“It was a lot of factors, man,” Mack told the gathered press.
“Playing this game, you deal with all types of stuff and I’m not one to make excuses, but I am going to make sure I am out there with my brothers giving it my all every week and that’s what you all saw. So, not to get into details but, man, we’re ready this year. We’re ready. We’re ready for it all.”
Stankevitz believes that Mack genuinely loves football. Because of that, he said he thinks the defender is going to have a renewed interest in showing that his dip in numbers didn’t have to do with any kind of dip in talent.
The analyst wrote that he thinks the focus Mack has this summer is going to make things very difficult for his opponents in the coming season.