Last week, new Bears general manager Ryan Poles bemoaned the lack of draft picks left him by Ryan Pace.
“That’s just the hand we were dealt,” he said. “And we’ll be open-minded on how we can create more picks.”
Thursday, he certainly was open-minded, agreeing to trade edge rusher Khalil Mack to the Chargers for a second-round draft pick next month and a sixth-round pick next year. The trade cannot become official until the start of the league year Wednesday and is contingent on Mack passing a physical after having season-ending foot surgery in November.
Poles trading a sure-fire Pro Football Hall of Famer in his first major Bears move is a bold, refreshingly cold-hearted move, considering the Bears made Mack the richest defensive player in history when they traded for him four years ago.