This Stat Alone Proves the Bears Made the Right Call Trading for Khalil Mack and the Haters Can Stick it

The Chicago Bears have been catching plenty of flak as of late. Granted, most of it's related to their 2017 first-round selection of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Yet, some crazed individuals are actually bashing the Bears for acquiring stud pass rusher Khalil Mack in a trade with the then-Oakland Raiders. Many point out that the move cost Chicago their first-round draft picks in 2019 and 2020, which is understandable, but this is Khalil Mack we're talking about here.

If you needed any more proof that trading NFL Draft capital for Mack was the right decision, then look at the following stat from Pro Football Focus, which shows that the linebacker led the entire league in pass pressures the past five seasons.

That's right, Mack leads the likes of Von Miller and Cameron Jordan in pressuring the quarterback by a considerable margin.

Before the trade, the Bears already boasted a stout defense, but they wanted to place insurmountable pressure on NFC North quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford. So, they negotiated a trade for Mack and locked him in to a massive contract extension.

In 30 games with the Bears, Mack recorded 94 tackles, 32 quarterback hits, 21 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, and eight passes defensed.

Finding an elite pass rusher is extremely difficult in the NFL today. If a team doesn't have one, they're unlikely to contend at the highest level. Just look at the Raiders. Their pass rush is abysmal and they've yet to find a player who can replace Mack's production, or even do so collectively.

Don't listen to the critics. Trading for Mack was absolutely the right move by the Bears.