Former Falcons great Alex Mack retires

The 2016 Falcons draft class was a transformative one, bringing in talented young defenders who would key a run to the Super Bowl, but the most impactful addition for that great team came in free agency. Atlanta’s deal with Alex Mack, one of the largest of the decade for the franchise, provided the Falcons with an elite center who helped Kyle Shanahan’s offense run the way it was supposed to.

Tough as nails—he infamously played part of the Super Bowl on a broken leg—and a gifted blocker, Mack was stellar for four years in Atlanta and quite good in a fifth one, proving to be one of the few reliable cogs on an ever-changing Falcons line. His 2016 season was one for the ages, but the fact that…