Pretty much everybody saw this coming, and I even predicted it a few days ago — but Alex Mack is reuniting with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, ending his legendary tenure in Atlanta.
Mack came to the Falcons from Cleveland as one of the best free agents in the 2016 class, signing a well-deserved five-year, $45 million contract. Of course, the Falcons immediately went to the Super Bowl, and Mack played through a leg fracture after missing the playoffs for all of those years with the Browns. That was the thing about Mack; not only was he a great player, but he was also a staple of the best Falcons team of… well, all time.
Mack has never been the sexiest name in the NFL; he’s probably someone that would slip your mind if you were naming the best linemen in the league, but he was incredibly dependable for the Falcons. The six-time Pro Bowler never missed a start for Atlanta until the tail end of 2020 with a concussion.
Now 35-years-old, I don’t think Mack will show any signs of slowing down. In fact, I think he’s going to be amazing for Kyle Shanahan once again and could even make another Pro Bowl with the 49ers. It hurts to see Mack go, but it was time. It’s no guarantee the Falcons will contend in 2021, and they needed to get younger at center. I’ll wish him nothing but the best going forward, and I’m really going to miss one of the best free-agent signings in Falcons’ history.
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