SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The day after the San Francisco 49ers kept their own offensive Pro Bowl striker, they added another outsider, signing center-back Alex Mack for a three-year contract.
The terms of the contract, which was announced by the team on Thursday, have not yet been released. The Mack deal had been forming since the early hours of Wednesday morning after left striker Trent Williams tagged Mack in an Instagram post announcing his own rehiring with the 49ers.
Long before that, however, Mack to San Francisco had been a logical connection. He threw his college ball at neighboring Cal and was the favorite of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan when he played for him at the Cleveland Browns in 2014 and the Atlanta Falcons in 2016.
“The 49ers obviously have a connection to Kyle Shanahan and him as the head coach and the attack he leads, which has always been something I know is a system I can be very good at,” said Mack on Thursday. “It is an attack in which I know I can excel, so it was a very good fit between a good team and a good place with a good technical team and a place where I can be a good player.”
Mack, 35, completed his fifth season with the Falcons last season. He joined Atlanta as a free agent on a $ 57.5 million five-year contract ahead of the 2015/16 season.
He was selected for six Pro Bowls in his 12-season career, including his first three seasons with the Falcons.
Mack spent the first seven seasons of his career in Cleveland, where he was selected for his first three Pro Bowls.
“We are excited to add another Pro Bowl player to our offensive line,” said general manager John Lynch in a statement. “Throughout his career, Alex has been a model of consistency. His leadership and high character will be felt across our team and community.”
Escalated with the overall choice No. 21 in 2009 by the Browns, he started all 179 games in his career. He has only lost two games to the Falcons in his five seasons, both of which occurred last season, as he missed the final two games because of a concussion and being placed on the reserve / COVID-19 list.