SANTA CLARA, Calif. – A day after the San Francisco 49ers retained their own Pro Bowl offensive officer, they added another outsider, signing center Alex Mack to a three-year contract.
The terms of the contract, announced by the team on Thursday, were not yet available. The Mack deal has been going on since the early hours of Wednesday morning, after left-handed striker Trent Williams tagged Mack in an Instagram post, announcing his own signature with the 49ers.
But long before, Mack had made a logical connection with San Francisco. He played his college ball at Cal, nearby, and was a favorite of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan when he played for him with the Cleveland Browns in 2014 and the Atlanta Falcons in 2016.
“The 49ers obviously have a connection to Kyle Shanahan and him as head coach and the offense he leads, it’s always been something I know is a system where I can be very good,” Mack said Thursday. “It’s an offense I know I can excel at, so it was a great match between a good team and a good place, with a good coaching staff and a place where I can be a good player.”
Mack, 35, finished his fifth season with the Falcons last season. He joined Atlanta as a free agent on a five-year, $ 57.5 million contract before the 2015-16 season.
He was selected to 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,” general manager John Lynch said in a statement. “Throughout his career, Alex has been a model of consistency. His leadership and senior character will be felt throughout the team and community.”
Elaborated with the general election no. 21 in 2009 by the Browns, he started all 179 games of his career. He missed just two games for the Falcons in his five seasons, both coming last season, as he missed the last two games due to a brain switch and was placed on the reserve list / COVID-19.