John Lynch: Alex Mack is training like he’s coming…

USA TODAY Sports

49ers center Alex Mack is potentially heading into his 14th season in 2022 after making the Pro Bowl in his first year with San Francisco.

But at age 36, there’s a chance Mack may retire instead.

At least for now, it appears that won’t be the case.

“We’ve had really good communication,” 49ers G.M. John Lynch said at the annual league meeting, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s training like he’s coming back. I won’t speak for him, but all signs are him coming back and him being part of us.”

But as Branch noted, Lynch made similar comments about former left tackle Joe Staley potentially coming back before the longtime 49er elected to retire in 2020. Then Lynch said that he was, “encouraged that Joe’s going to be a part of us moving forward.”

Mack signed a three-year deal with the 49ers last offseason, reuniting him with San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan. Mack previously played under Shanahan with the Browns and Falcons when he was each club’s offensive coordinator.

In 2021, Mack started all 17 of San Francisco’s regular-season games and all three of their playoff matchups.

The 21st overall pick of the 2009 draft, Mack has started 196 games in seven years with Cleveland, five years with Atlanta, and one year with San Francisco.