The San Francisco 49ers could use some stability at the center position. After a failure with Weston Richburg and Band-Aid replacements last year, they hope that's what they've gotten with the signing of 12-year veteran Alex Mack to a three-year deal.
Mack, 35, has played in 16 games in five of the last six seasons and all but two seasons over his career. Mack's streak of 90 consecutive regular-season starts ended last season when he missed the final two games due to a concussion.
"I work really hard to stay healthy," Mack told reporters on Thursday. "It's a full-time job to get your body right, to really make sure you're taking care of yourself. It's a lot of luck, for sure, but it's also about taking care of yourself, getting your sleep in, eating right, just doing all the little things it takes.
"I also think trying hard on the field and going 100 percent helps you avoid somebody rolling you up."
Most offensive lineman will probably tell you that Pro Football Focus grades don't mean a whole lot because the analysts don't know the assignments while evaluating their play. Still, it is a good gauge for career trends, and the analytics site has Mack's has been trending downward in recent years. He has seen a steady drop from his career-high overall grade of 91.5 in 2017 to 65.9 this past season. Mack's pass-blocking grade of 56.4 in 2020 was a career-low, while his still solid run-blocking grade of 70.2 was his lowest mark since 2014.
"I'm an older player. There's no denying that," Mack said. "But I do feel like I play well. I think my film has been good. I felt good doing it. I think I can be great in this system. I don't know exactly what goes into the PFF grades, but I know I can help contribute on this team. I know I can still play this game. I know I can be a good player."
Mack's contract will have him playing until he is 38 years old. How much more does the offensive lineman have in him?
"I don't think I'll make it to 40," Mack commented, "but I'm taking it one year at a time, making sure I feel good, I can play good, I can be a contributor on this team. I played last year in Atlanta, and I felt good. I felt like I moved well. I felt like I was still a really good player, and so I decided to come back in free agency and sign here."