The Los Angeles Chargers acquired Khalil Mack this offseason, pairing the former Defensive Player of the Year with four-time Pro Bowler Joey Bosa to form potentially the best edge-rushing duo in the NFL.
Bosa is thrilled to see Mack line up on the opposite side of the ball.
"It's amazing," Bosa said, via the team's official transcript. "Just to have another guy like that to lean on, to look at -- I was just talking to, I can remember who, today about it. Just getting to know him, he's a really nice guy. I was talking to [OLBs coach] Giff [Smith] about how he reminds me of [former Chargers DL Brandon] Mebane a little bit; his temperament, he's a chill dude. He's great to talk to. Along with that, he's obviously an unbelievable player, so having a guy like that on the other side is going to be really fun."
Mack played just seven games in Chicago last season, netting six sacks, the fewest since his rookie season. The 31-year-old has mostly worked on the side during offseason workouts as he rehabs, but participated in 11-on-11 walkthroughs during the first day of minicamp Tuesday.Â
Bosa said he's long looked up to Mack and believes they complement each other well in Brandon Staley's defense.Â
"He's the guy that I feel like, early on, he was one of the guys I looked at and was like, 'Dang, I have to compare to these guys? I can't do that,'" Bosa said. "But, obviously, I've really worked hard to kind of get to that point. I think we complement each other really well. We rush really differently, so we've been bouncing ideas off of each other, just talking technique because we really have two pretty distinct styles of rushing. Obviously, we're not going to totally switch up what we do, but if we could learn something here and there from each other -- just a guy with experience like that, I'm really excited just get out there and see what it's like together."
If Bosa and Mack stay healthy, the Chargers will boast a devastating tandem. Last season, Bosa was the only L.A. defender to generate more than five sacks. Mack represents a huge upgrade at a position of need in the rugged AFC West.
