The Chicago Bears made some fun news a few months ago when they signed Ledarius Mack as an undrafted free agent. He is the younger brother of star pass rusher Khalil Mack. While some might feel this was nothing more than a move to make their defensive stud happy, they insist this is not the case. The younger Mack is a capable player in his own right.
Something Khalil himself has said on more than one occasion. When Ledarius was trying to get into college on an athletic scholarship, Khalil told his alma mater at Buffalo that they’d do themselves a favor by giving him a tryout. Not a scholarship. Just a tryout. He was that confident in the abilities of his brother to make a good impression. He was right. Ledarius secured a spot on the team and eventually became one of their best defenders.
When Khalil appeared before the media again last week, he was asked how his little brother is doing. Uncaring on if it sounded biased, Mack gave a glowing review.
“Scouting report? Aw, man. He’s jumping out on film. Very explosive. Very explosive. You could tell that he’s talented. The thing that’s going to affect that decision, it’s going to come down to special teams, how he’ll be used out there or whatever that may be. But all in all, from what I’ve seen, I’m proud of him. He likes to make plays and I can only think it’s got something to do with bloodline. I’m not going to take any credit.”
Khalil Mack likely isn’t doing it just to be loyal
Is there some nepotism involved here? Maybe. However, Khalil has a reputation for being straightforward and no-nonsense. So his words on Lederius aren’t just bluster. He believes what he says. Even the coaching staff has noticed the younger Mack. How hard he works and how he carries himself like he’s “ten feet tall.”
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Sadly this just isn’t the year for Ledarius to make a strong enough impression. With no preseason games, the opportunities just aren’t there to actually stand out. He only gets so many snaps in practice. That said, the odds of him landing on the practice squad are pretty fair. With a little time and patience, perhaps he’ll seize on a real chance in 2021.