Earlier on Thursday, the Atlanta Falcons announced they would be working remotely after entering the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol following a positive test from a player on the team. Shortly after 3pm EST, ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced that Falcons’ All-Pro center Alex Mack was the player being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Falcons placed center Alex Mack on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 31, 2020
Mack was already dealing with a concussion that had him limited in Wednesday’s practice, but he’ll now miss Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay unless his test turns out to be a false-positive. Atlanta is hurting along the offensive line, as left guard James Carpenter was also limited on Wednesday with a groin injury.
That likely marks the end of Mack’s five-year run in Atlanta, and possibly his career. The six-time Pro Bowler is 35 years old and will be a free agent after the season. He is not expected to return to the Falcons, and will evaluate his future after the season.