Longtime Falcons center Alex Mack signs with 49ers

Alex Mack was a critical piece of the Falcons 2016 Super Bowl, one of the best free agent signings of the Thomas Dimitroff era in Atlanta, and a great player. He anchored the middle of the Falcons offensive line as the team continually struggled to solve their guard conundrum, made countless critical blocks over the course of four seasons, and missed just two games over that span. He was, in short, a great Falcon.

It was expected that he’d be finding a new home this offseason, but it’s still bittersweet to see him go. This morning, we found out that Mack is headed to San Francisco to reunite with Kyle Shanahan.

It’s a great landing spot for Mack heading into his age 36 season, and though he’s not the same player he was in 2016, he’ll undoubtedly provide an upgrade for the 49ers offensive line. That trademark toughness—he played in the Super Bowl on a broken leg, remember—and blocking acumen will serve that team well

The Falcons, meanwhile, are left to look for a new center. Matt Hennessy is already on the roster and may well prove to be a capable heir in his second season, but he did struggle in limited action in 2020. The Falcons could look outside the organization for help, as Patriots center David Andrews is set to hit the market and there will be affordable guys for the team’s shoestring budget, but it’s not easy to replace a player like Alex Mack. We’ll miss him and we’re lucky he spent those five great years in Atlanta.