Now that Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack won’t show up for mandatory minicamp, which will cost him $84,435 in fines, the next question becomes whether he’ll show up for training camp.
The cost goes up dramatically, with a price tag of $40,000 per day. But the fine amounts are irrelevant to the broader question of whether the Raiders will offer Mack the kind of contract that gets him to sign on the dotted line over the long haul (especially since the fines are often quietly forgiven once the player shows up).
It’s not clear what Mack wants, but it’s safe to assume he’s looking for market value, even though he’s three years away from hitting the open market. Two years ago, Broncos linebacker Von Miller set a new bar without becoming a true free agent.
However it plays out, chances are that this one will get more acrimonious before it gets resolved. Unless the Raiders suddenly decide to pay Mack what he thinks he has earned during four full NFL seasons.
That doesn’t mean Mack will miss game checks. At $13.846 million, he’d lose more than $814,000 per week if a holdout stretches into the regular season. Still, the fact that he has taken a stand throughout the offseason suggests that Mack has more up his sleeve as he tries to get more in his wallet.