The New Orleans Saints released rookie tight end Alize Mack before their Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks, and he ended up signing onto the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad a few days later. It’s a tough start to his career after being drafted by the Saints in the seventh round out of Notre Dame earlier this year.
Still, Mack’s keeping his chin up and looking forward to starting fresh with a new team. But he took time Thursday afternoon to thank the Saints fans for their support while he was on their team, writing a farewell message from his official Twitter account:
It’s a nice gesture for sure. Mack could be on the fast-track to playing for Pittsburgh soon; the Steelers are razor-thin at tight end, with an injured starter on the mend (Vance McDonald) and their top backup on injured reserve (Xavier Grimble). That leaves a recent trade acquisition (former Seahawk Nick Vannett) and a rookie backup (Zach Gentry) on the roster, with Mack getting up to speed on the practice squad. So there’s a chance he gets on the field sooner or later.
As for the Saints: Mack’s departure left them with two veterans on the active roster in Jared Cook and Josh Hill, with third-year wide receiver convert Dan Arnold on the practice squad. Mack’s release also meant the Saints will not get any contributions from their seventh-round picks this year, with rookie linebacker Kaden Elliss landing on injured reserve this week.
