After 13 seasons in the NFL, former Falcons center and seven-time Pro Bowler Alex Mack has decided to step away from the game and bring an end to the career of one of the most reliable and durable offensive lineman in football after originally being selected by the Cleveland Browns out of California with the 21st pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
"After 13 seasons and 204 games for three teams, I have decided to hang up my cleats," Mack posted on Twitter. "I am so grateful to the game of football and everything it has given me. From the very start it helped shape who I am and taught me life lessons. I started to play football because it was fun and that never changed..."
Historically, the Atlanta Falcons offensive line was made up of names that most of us have probably forgotten about. Outside of targeting mainstay offensive tackle Jake Matthews with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons front five on offense has been a list of guys who haven’t really established themselves as a cohesive unit. For years, former Falcons QB Matt Ryan was consistently one of the most sacked quarterbacks in the league despite being one of the most accomplished statistically.
In 2016, former GM Thomas Dimitroff made one of the best moves during his tenure with Atlanta when he acquired the already three-time Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro from the Browns and, in turn, pushed the Falcons offense to go from 21st in the league in 2015 (8-8) to first in 2016 (11-5) and saw Matt Ryan win the NFL MVP and Offensive POY in Mack’s first season with the Dirty Birds. Mack would go on to earn three more Pro Bowl nods and two more Second-Team All-Pro selections, in addition to starting every game during his five seasons with Atlanta. Mack was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Decade team for the 2010s.
Mack decided to follow former Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan to San Francisco after the 2020 season and earned his final Pro Bowl berth in 2021.
So now the question needs to be raised…with names like Jeff Van Note and Todd McClure in the mix, is Alex Mack the best center in Falcons franchise history? Let the discussions begin.