Khalil Mack named 13th-best player over the age of 30

Similar to all the lists you see that center around the league’s top young talent (top-25 under 25, etc.), you’ll also come to see list about the best elder statesmen in the NFL, as well.

This week, NFL.com posted their top-30 players over the age of 30, or otherwise the age threshold where many players tend to fall off a cliff. However, as the years go on, there seems to be more and more stars who refuse to let that number stop them from continuing their tirade across the league.

On this year’s list, the Chargers landed one player who currently plays for the team and one player who unfortunately got shopped this offseason. The former being edge rusher Khalil Mack and the latter being wideout Keenan Allen who is now with the Bears.

Mack is coming off a career-high 17 sacks wh

ich helped him finish in the top-five in that category in 2023. The Chargers, somehow, were able to get him to take a pay cut this season to return to LA and play for new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and head coach Jim Harbaugh. Showing that he’s still got enough in to tank to be elite, Mack was ranked as the 13th-best player over the age of 30. That’s also exactly one spot ahead of where Allen was ranked entering his first season with the Bears.

Here’s what Dan Parr, one of the four authors of the rankings, had to say about Mack’s placement:

“Some folks might have written Mack off as a fallen star after he failed to post double-digit sacks in four straight seasons. Khalil didn’t write back. Instead, he authored a career-high 17-sack season in 2023 (fourth-most in the league). He also racked up 80 pressures (eighth-most), which was his highest output in that category since his most recent first-team All-Pro campaign in 2018. And before anyone starts throwing out “one-dimensional” allegations, it’s worth noting Mack led all edge rushers with 19 stuffs (run plays resulting in no gain or loss), per Next Gen Stats. He did all of this with his fellow Chargers edge menace, Joey Bosa, sidelined for half the season, which allowed offenses to place more of their focus on stopping No. 52.”

“I know six of Mack’s sacks came in one game against a lost Raiders O-line and he did take a pay cut this offseason, but his deal still places him among the 15 highest-paid edge rushers in average annual value. The man’s not done yet. Cue the Mark Morrison track!”

Entering the 2024 offseason, the Chargers were faced with four huge contracts they needed to deal with: Mack’s Allen, Joey Bosa’s, and Mike Williams’. If you would have asked me which of those players would have stayed, I would have guessed Mack and Allen. Instead, both defensive players took pay cuts to stay while Williams was released and Allen was traded. Now, the team is looking like they’re hoping to be carried by a defense while Justin Herbert gets to carry a young and inexperienced offense.

Hey, maybe this will finally be the year Herbert can start winning games by scoring less than 28 points. Wouldn’t that be something?