Ahead of their second-ever
Super Bowl appearance, the
Atlanta Falcons are taking no chances and all precautions with the linchpin of their offense.
Falcons center
Alex Mack is dealing with a swollen, painful sprained ankle, an injury he suffered in last Sunday's NFC Championship Game. While Mack returned to the game after a brief exit, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source, that Atlanta will likely hold the center out of practice during the bye week.
Rapoport adds that Mack is expected to play in
Super Bowl LI against the
Patriots and will rest his ankle to ensure his ability to play in his first Big Game. The center also said as much on Schein on Sports on Tuesday:
"We're doing good. We'll be there on gameday."
The most important piece of the only offensive line in the league to start all 16 games as a five-man unit, Mack has incalcuable value to Atlanta's juggernaut of an offense. The center came over in the offseason from Cleveland, signing a five-year deal with the
Falcons, and immediately fell into a comfort zone in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's offense, one he briefly guided as a member of the
Browns.
Mack finished 2016 as Pro Football Focus' third-ranked center, a Pro Bowler, a second-team All-Pro member and the highly regarded pointman for MVP favorite
Matt Ryan and the NFC champions.
It'd be silly and downright irresponsible to try to push Mack out on the practice field if his ankle is not ready. That's why there's a bye week in between Championship Weekend and the
Super Bowl. Everyone wants the best, healthiest product out there on the biggest stage, from the league to the organizations to the fans and on down.
This is tricky. One one hand, it makes sense to keep consistency with this offense and just promote from within. On the other hand, Chip Kelly can coach an offense and might be better as a coordinator than as the head man. 
