Khalil Mack has made it clear to the Raiders that he wants a new contract and it looks like he’s not going to start showing up to practice until he gets one, even if that costs him nearly $100,000.
According to NFL.com, the Raiders don’t expect Mack to attend the team’s mandatory minicamp this week, which runs from June 12-14. Although Mack has yet to attend a single OTA this year, the mandatory minicamp will mark the first time that the Raiders would potentially be able to punish him for missing practice under the collective bargaining agreement.
Any player in the NFL who skips their team’s minicamp is subject to a fine of nearly $85,000. A player can be fined $14,070 for missing one day of camp, $28,150 for missing a second day of camp and another $42,215 if they miss all three days. In total, that means Mack could be subjected to $84,435 in fines if he doesn’t show up for any of the three days.
Although some players can get away with missing minicamp, CBS Sports NFL analyst Danny Kannell doesn’t necessarily think it’s a good idea for Mack, and that’s mainly because he’s got a new coach (Jon Gruden) who’s not familiar with him.
“It’s one thing if a staff knows you and knows what type of professional you are,” Kanell said. “They’re still learning what you’re all about, what type of character you have. If you’re not there, you don’t want to start that relationship on the wrong foot, especially with a guy like Jon Gruden, who’s a little more old school in thought with the way he perceives NFL players.”
Kanell also noted that the Raiders need to try and get a deal done, just so Mack can get to practice and start the process of learning the new system being installed by new defensive coordinator Paul Guenther.
“You need him in there learning Paul Guenther’s new defensive scheme, especially when Guenther has singled out Khalil Mack saying ‘We’re going to get him more involved, because he’s an exceptional pass-rusher,'” Kanell said. “They’re going to move him around a lot, he’s going to have a lot more responsibility than he’s had in years past.”
When Guenther was asked about the status of the Raiders’ star defensive player earlier this month, he didn’t sound thrilled about Mack’s absence.
“He’s going to have a lot of catching up to do,” Guenther said, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We’re going to have to have a plan for that, for sure. Really, I’m concerned about the guys that are here now working. These guys have been busting their tails every day – coming in early, meeting with the coaches, being great in the meeting rooms, communicating on the field. We do a lot with one-minute situations today, so it was really good to see.”
So what’s it going to take for the Raiders to get Mack under contract? The answer to that question is a truck load of money.
According to NFL.com, Mack is hoping to land a deal that will pay him at least $65 million in guaranteed money. As things stand right now, Mack is scheduled to make $13.8 million in 2018 as he heads into the final season of his contract. However, he’s only getting that amount of money due to his fifth year option. Over the first four years of his career, Mack never made more than $700,000 in a season, making him an absolute steal.
Since being selected by the Raiders with the fifth-overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Mack has been voted to the Pro Bowl three times, named first-team All-Pro twice and won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2016. So yeah, he’s probably due for a raise.
The good news for Mack is that his raise could be coming soon. The last time the Raiders had to deal with a monstrous contract extension came almost exactly 12 months ago with Derek Carr and they didn’t end up getting that deal done until June 22.
