Alex Mack, the center for the San Francisco 49ers, made his decision about his football future after an off-season of uncertainty.
He's not going to. Mack announced his retirement via social media and the 49ers on Friday morning, ending a career that included seven Pro Bowl selections, three second-team All-Pro honors and a spot on the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade.
Mack decided to hang up his cleats after 13 seasons and 204 games. The game of football has given me so many things. It taught me life lessons from the very beginning. I started playing football because it was enjoyable.
I always tried to keep my end of the bargain.
Mack played in the Pro Bowl for the last time last season. It was something of a full circle moment for Mack when he signed with the 49ers in March of 2021.
Mack signed a three-year deal but made it clear that he was playing on a year-to-year basis and would evaluate at the end of each season. Mack's commitment to that left many wondering what he was going to do during the rest of the year.
At the league's owners meetings in late March, Niners general manager John Lynch expressed optimism that Mack was going to return, saying that "all signs are him coming back and being a part of us."
Just before the draft, Lynch said that he would let Mack make his own announcement when he was ready.
Mack's base salary was dropped from $5 million to $1.12 million and from $3.35 million to $1.165 million in the next five years. The 49ers were able to save more than $4 million in cap space thanks to the move.
Mack made his retirement official on Friday and the 49ers thanked him.
The center position in the National Football League is the heartbeat of an offense and Alex's intellect, consistency, love for the game and professional approach made a lasting impression over the course of his 13 NFL seasons. We wish Alex nothing but the best in his career after football.
Mack was drafted by Cleveland in the first round. He earned three Pro Bowl berths and two second-team All-Pro spots in five years with the Falcons, after earning three Pro Bowl berths and a second-team All-Pro spot in seven seasons with the Cleveland Indians.
The 49ers are looking for a replacement for a position that they value a lot in their offense.
Internal veteran options include Jake Brendel, who has been working with the starters during the off-season, and Daniel Brunskill, who started at right guard last season.
San Francisco has a trio of rookies, including Nick Zakelj and Dohnovan West, who could also contribute.
Outside of the building, veteran center JC Tretter is the best center on the market, though he comes with some questions about a knee issue that prevented him from practicing much of last season.
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