CLEVELAND — One of the best players of the Cleveland Browns' post-1999 era is calling it quits, with Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reporting that center Alex Mack is set to retire.
Selected by the Browns out of Cal-Berkeley with the No. 21st overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Mack spent the first seven seasons of his 13-year career in Cleveland. In that time, Mack amassed three Pro Bowl apperances and a second-team All-Pro selection, establishing himself as one of the best centers in the NFL while playing in 101 of a possible 112 games.
He would miss just two more regular-season games over the course of his entire 13-year career.
Following the 2015 season, Mack opted to take his talents elsewhere, signing a five-year, $45 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, reuniting with former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. In his first season with the Falcons, Mack earned his second of what would be three second-team All-Pro honors and played a key role in Atlanta's run to Super Bowl LI.
The Santa Barbara, California, native would go on to earn three Pro Bowl selections during his five seasons with the Falcons and was ultimately named to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2010s, joining former Browns teammate Joe Thomas. Ahead of the 2021 season, Mack signed a three-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers -- where he again reunited with Shanahan -- earning a seventh Pro Bowl selection in what would prove to be his final season in what could prove to be a Hall of Fame-caliber career.