Thursday was a relatively quiet day in the NFL….until the Chicago Bears pulled off a blockbuster trade, sending All-Pro pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers for draft compensation.

The Bears will receive a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick in exchange for Mack.

Chicago originally acquired Mack in 2018 in a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders that involved a Bears first-round pick.

The headline from the trade with the Chargers is that Chicago got fleeced. And I don't disagree with that take. Los Angeles is paying a low price for a premier edge rusher. Mack hasn't had double-digit sacks since 2018, but he showed he's still an elite pass rusher last season before his season-ending foot surgery. The former No. 5 overall draft pick had six sacks in seven games last season, which means he was on pace for 14.5 sacks (Mack's career-high is 15 sacks in 2015).

The compensation, however, isn't what this trade is about. This is more about the Bears' belief in new head coach Matt Eberflus.

The Bears' decision to trade Khalil Mack shows us how the franchise truly views Matt Eberflus

At first glance, I'm sure there's a lot of "why the hell are the Bears doing that" reactions to the Mack trade. Chicago is only saving $6.15 million in space this season by trading Mack. Any cap space is good, but that's a low amount to save by dealing a potential Hall of Fame pass rusher that's only 31.

But beyond this season, the decision to deal Mack will save the Bears from paying him the $45 million he was owed in 2023 and 2024 (the Chargers will take over those payments, obviously).

If the Bears were looking to pull a Cincinnati Bengals and go from 11 losses to the Super Bowl, they likely would've gone all-in on the 2022 season and kept Mack. But that's not what they're trying to do. New Bears general manager Ryan Poles is trying to build a perennial winner in Chicago. And the organization clearly believes that Eberflus has the ability to be a long-term answer. They believe in his ability to develop defensive players and to develop a culture reminiscent of the hardnosed Bears teams of the past.

Trading Mack gives Chicago the financial flexibility to execute a plan over the next several years. There's no doubt that Eberflus and Poles, along with the rest of the front office, have collaborated on that plan. And the fact that Chicago was willing to trade a generational player shows us the confidence they have in Eberflus. The trend in the NFL lately is to fire a coach after two years (or less), blow the whole thing up, and start over.

That's not the Bears' plan with Eberflus.

Kneejerk reactions to fire head coaches can cause franchises to stumble for years. We've seen it countless times (just look at where the Bears have been since firing Lovie Smith after a 10-6 season).

This move to trade Mack shows us that Chicago is planning to avoid any kneejerk reactions. The Bears are committed to building a culture, developing a plan, and staying the course while that plan is executed. Firing head coaches every two years isn't the answer for any franchise. And dealing Mack shows us that Chicago doesn't plan on making any coaching changes again for a very long time.

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