Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack has reportedly decided privately to opt out of his current contract with the franchise, per multiple media sources, choosing to test the waters of free agency rather than remain with the team on his current five-year deal.
Mack has said before that "winning is important" when it comes to choosing his next team in free agency. The Pro Bowl center remains optimistic, however, that the Browns could provide a winning atmosphere under new head coach Hue Jackson.
"I mean, it was good to leave the season, take some time off and let that all shake out," Mack told reporters on Thursday while prepping for this weekend's Pro Bowl in Hawaii. "Really happy they got everything handled early and they found their guy. They're getting a staff together quickly. It's going in the right direction."
Mack still has more than a month before he needs to kick his decision-making process into high gear, but his decision to test the market and not remain on a five-year, $42 million deal shows that Mack is betting on himself and finding more than $8 million a year in free agency -- whether it's in Cleveland or not.
"I think they've got good things going in the right places," Mack said of the Browns.
Whether or not those "good things" are enough to keep the three-time Pro Bowler in Cleveland remains to be seen.
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