The Montreal Alouettes may be without their top pass-catcher Austin Mack next season as the 26-year-old has received a contract with the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.
Mack made the announcement himself on his X account on Monday, attaching to his post various photos taken at the Falcons' offices.
“A new beginning!” said the American proudly.
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For the Alouettes, the agreement obviously confuses the reigning Gray Cup champions a bit, but we are particularly happy for the individual players.
“Austin bet on him by coming to the Canadian League and he has done that well with his season and big games in the playoffs,” Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia commented on Monday when speaking to Le Journal connected. He deserves this new opportunity and we are happy for him.”
The Alouettes have the rights
While he wants Mack to make it work for his team, Maciocia points out that the rights to that player remain with the Alouettes in the CFL through the end of the 2024 season.
Therefore, if Mack is cut from the Falcons after the team's camp or during the NFL's preseason schedule, Montreal could welcome him back.
Mack had just been discovered by Quebec recruiter Pier-Yves Lavergne during a San Francisco 49ers training camp and immediately convinced Maciocia to put him on the Alouettes' negotiating list.
Number 81 then quickly proved that he could have an impact in the CFL. With 1,154 total passing yards in 17 regular-season games, he easily ranked first among Alouettes receivers in that regard.
Spectacular catch
In the Gray Cup final, Mack gave the Winnipeg Blue Bombers headaches with six catches for 103 yards. He notably caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Cody Fajardo early in the fourth quarter. What was also spectacular was that the receiver made a one-handed catch in the third quarter, but it was then tied up by Demerio Houston. The pictures toured North America.
Mack's deal with the Falcons came after the player worked out in front of that team's scouts. The Atlanta team, which also includes Quebec guard Matthew Bergeron, failed to qualify for the NFL playoffs with a record of 7-10.
At the beginning of his career, Mack worked for the New York Giants, for whom he even got a starting spot in 2020. The following year, the former Ohio State University Buckeyes was signed to the Tennessee Titans' practice squad.
A busy off-season
If Mack stays in Atlanta in 2024, the Alouettes can rely on good receivers again, including Canadians Tyson Philpot and Kaion Julien-Grant. They will inevitably be joined by some Americans, possibly also Tyler Snead and Cole Spieker.
“The agreement between Mack and the Falcons does not change our daily work,” noted Maciocia, also with a view to the current off-season. There is a concerted effort to find the best players available.
Another issue for the Alouettes: determining their running backs in 2024. Maciocia has already indicated that not all three of William Stanback, Walter Fletcher and Jeshrun Antwi will be back.