The mark of a great player in any professional sport is that they’re never satisfied in anything that they do. They always feel they can be better. This is why a guy like Khalil Mack will be in the Hall of Fame someday. He approaches his craft with the same focus and controlled fury every week. Don’t be fooled by the “modest” 8.5 sacks he’s had this year. He was very much an impact player every Sunday for the Chicago Bears.
Still, all guys need some time off. One can imagine even Mack will want to get away from the game after the 2019 season ends. Maybe get some of that sour taste out of his mouth after such a frustrating year. Except that isn’t how Mack thinks. He’s made it clear his focus more than ever is about winning a championship. If this season didn’t accomplish that, then he is hell-bent on making sure he’ll be ready for 2020. That means getting straight to work after the season ends.
‘‘I can’t really explain how I’m going to use it. But I’ll use it…My therapy is being part of the grind. My grind is really not going to stop this year. Not going to take too many breaks. Yeah, I’m looking forward to it, in that sense.’’
Khalil Mack isn’t the only one with that mindset
This mentality doesn’t seem exclusive to Mack either. A number of other players in the locker room apparently have plans to get an early start on preparing for 2020. Allen Robinson, who’s coming off arguably the best season of his career, has talked to fellow receivers about going to his home in the offseason where they could work together. It’s becoming clearer each day why the Bears worked so hard to acquire guys like him and Mack. They are not only great on the field, but they also set the tone off it too.
They force others to follow their lead. Mack made it clear he plans to not waste any time righting the wrongs of 2019 by attacking the preparation for 2020 is exactly the message the Bears needed to be sent. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy will worry about making the necessary changes to the roster. He can focus on ensuring an edge is present in the locker room. One that wasn’t present enough this year.
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