Arkush Khalil Mack trade makes one thing clear, Bears are looking at a true rebuild

From the moment Bears chairman George McCaskey pulled the trigger on the futures of Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy, one of the most pressing questions has been will the team be immediately better and able to compete with a young, unproven offense and an aging defense perhaps still able to be elite for a year or two?

Or will the immediate future offer even more losing while a rebuild is under way.

Upon their arrival new guys in town Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus stressed a desire to compete and contend immediately, although they didn't say how or promise success.

With the news Thursday the team is trading All-Pro Khalil Mack to the Chargers for draft picks, it is now clear the rebuild has started and there will most likely be more losing before the winning begins.

It's obvious from the meager return for one of the game's best pass rushers that this move is about clearing salary cap space for the future. It is highly unlikely anyone is safe nor that the team will dig deep to re-sign Allen Robinson, Akiem Hicks or any of their other veteran free agents.

Make no mistake, according to OverTheCap.com, the trade clears approximately $30 million in cap space in 2023 and another $11.5 million in 2024, and that is why Poles got so little in return in terms of the draft picks.

Mack is clearly worth more than second- and sixth-round picks, especially if you're trying to compete now.

In addition to the cap relief in the out years the Bears will also get about $6 million in extra space this year, but he will also still count $24 million against the Bears cap while rushing quarterbacks for the Chargers, reportedly the highest dead cap hit in history for a non QB.

While I strongly suspect the answer is no, many will ponder whether this decision was a reaction to Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams returning to Green Bay and a concession to the MVP's ownership of what once belonged to Papa Bear?

It is a concession speech but drastic moves like this don't come overnight; it had to be the plan all along.

There is also the question of Mack's recent foot surgery, really the first serious injury of his career.

While he will have to and almost certainly will pass a physical to seal the deal, perhaps the Bears brain trust believes we've seen the last of the old Mack?

The Bears now have more than enough money to do a mega extension with Roquan Smith before he gets to test the market after next season. If they don't it will radically increase the possibility they'll be starting over on defense with the meter running on Justin Fields' rookie contract.

It is also a clear signal they are all in on Fields and are prepared to struggle on defense while they are trying to mold him into a franchise quarterback, a move that escalates that level of difficulty.

And while there have been skeptics as to how long the honeymoon period extended to all new management will last for Poles and Eberflus after the massive disappointment of Pace and Nagy, the commitment to a fresh start will buy them at least a little extra time.

But ... should Mack return to his All-Pro form in Los Angeles and the Bears still be searching for answers in 2023 the wolves will be at the doors of Halas Hall before we know it.

At the end of the day, the Mack trade is a bold move, courageous and born of confidence in Poles' ability to build from near the bottom up.

Whether or not it's the right move remains to be seen.