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Will Braves first baseman Matt Olson be the last MLB Iron Man of the 21st century?

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Will Braves first baseman Matt Olson be the last MLB Iron Man of the 21st century?

It was 29 years ago this month that Cal Ripken Jr. showed us what a 20th-century Iron Man looked like. By which we mean this.

But in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s a very different time to be a baseball player in North America. So on that note, here’s what a 21st-century Iron Man looks like.


Matt Olson is closing in on his fourth career season of 162 games played. (Dale Zanine / USA Today)

That’s Matt Olson, who may not be as iconic as Ripken but still is a man with two current Iron Man claims to fame:

1) He has been an Atlanta Brave for three seasons now. You could locate him at first base in every darned game the Braves have played in that span β€” all 473 of them, the most games played by anyone in baseball since the start of 2022.

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2) But that’s not all, because if you roll the Iron Man clock back to his time in Oakland, Olson just blew past a very cool round number: 600 games played in a row.

So … only another 2,000, and he’ll be breathing down Ripken’s neck hairs. Right? You think he’ll take one of those Ripken-esque victory laps when he breaks the Iron Man record … in 2037?

β€œWhat is that β€” like, 18 years?” Olson said, with a mathematically incorrect chuckle. β€œYeah, if I’m playing when I’m 48, I’ll take a victory lap.”

Aw heck, it’s only another 13 years. So he’s almost there. Or not. But forget that Ripken stuff. We’re actually calling your attention to Olson’s streak because heΒ isΒ about to pass another legendary name. And once he does, he’ll carve out a slice of Iron Man history that will be all his.

This Thursday, according to STATS Perform, Olson is in line to play in his 477th consecutive game as a first baseman.Β And why is that so special? Because he will tie Pete Rose that day for the longest streak of games played at first baseΒ in the last 80 years.

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Once Olson passes Rose, he’ll own the second-longest streak at first base since Lou Gehrig β€” behind only Frank (Buck) McCormick of the 1938-42 Cincinnati Reds (652 in a row). AndΒ it will give Olson the fourth-longest streak at first of anyone in the modern eraΒ notΒ named Gehrig, trailing just McCormick, Fred Luderus (533) and Gus Suhr (505).

β€œThose are some cool names for sure,” Olson said. β€œEspecially nowadays.”

Fortunately for us, he then helpfully supplied his own definition of β€œnowadays.”

Nowadays, load management has become a thing in this sport, even though, in Olson’s eyes, β€œwe’re not full NBA.” AndΒ nowadays, matchups have also become a thing. Never in history have there been fewer true everyday players, as more teams play platoon-advantage, mix-and-match lineup bingo all over the diamond.

So let’s think about this. Will there ever be another Ripken? Will there ever even be another Matt Olson? Is the whole Iron Man concept dying before our eyes? And if it is, is that a good thing β€” a smart, scientific, health-driven thing? Or is it another once-romantic baseball phenomenon that is being driven out of the sport by the new wave of deep, analytical thinking?

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All Olson set out to do when he began this streak was play, and be there for his team. But his streak has also given us a reason to dig in on what this all means. So let’s do that, OK?

Let’s talk history

Before we get into why Matt Olson does what he does β€” and why the Braves are all-in on him doing it β€” let’s look deeper into just how rare this is.

Life after Ripken β€” Did you know that since Ripken’s streak of 2,632 consecutive games played ended in 1998, Olson is only the second player to have a consecutive games streak of 600 games or longer? The other: Miguel Tejada, who played in 1,152 in a row from 2000-07.

He’s well positioned β€” But it’s the number of games Olson has strung together,Β while playing defenseΒ at his position, that truly separates his streak from almost every other recent Iron Man streak.

Even Tejada played β€œonly” 807 consecutive games at shortstop (from 2000-05), according to STATS. So Olson could pass him, for the longest streak at any position since Ripken, by April 2027.

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And by the end of this season, only six men would rank ahead of Olson for the longest streaks at any position in the last 80 years:

SS Cal Ripken Jr.

2,216 (1982-1996)

SS Miguel Tejada

878 (2000-2005)

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2B Nellie FoxΒ Β 

798 (1955-1960)

CF Richie Ashburn

694 (1950-1954)

SS Roy McMillanΒ 

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583 (1951-1955)

3B Eddie Yost

576 (1951-1955)

1B Matt Olson

481* (2022-24)

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(Source: STATS Perform; *projected total at end of season)

A relevant side note about that list: Just two of those six players (Ripken and Tejada) compiled those streaks in the 162-game era, now six decades old.


Cal Ripken Jr. jokes with Miguel Tejada during the 10th anniversary celebration of his record-breaking 2,131st consecutive game. (Matthew S. Gunby / Associated Press)
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Where’s Garvey? We know what you’re thinking: What about Steve Garvey, who famously strung together a 1,207-game streak from 1975-83, as the first baseman for the Dodgers and Padres? Excellent question!

Garvey’s streak is one of three 1,000-gamers (or longer) in the last half-century. But it didn’t make the list above because he extended it seven times with pinch-hitting appearances. Therefore, it doesn’t qualify for the leaderboard of longest streaks playing first base.Β And that’s an important distinction.

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Who’s on first β€” Would it shock you to know that it’s not out of the question that Olson could catch Gehrig himself? It stunned us. But we’re not talking about Gehrig’s fabled 2,130-game streak that Ripken passed. This would be only his longest streak while playing first base.

Did you know that Gehrig occasionally wore an outfield glove when the Yankees needed him to? Look it up.

And because he did, his longest consecutive-games streakΒ while playing firstΒ was β€œonly” 885 games, from 1925-30, according to STATS. That means that if Olson can keep going, he could grind past that Gehrig streak in July 2027 … and (amazingly)Β rank No. 1 in the modern era.Β That could actually happen.

At that point, only two men in the modern era would stand in front of Olson at any position:

Cal Ripken Jr.Β 

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2,216 at SS (1982-1996)

Everett ScottΒ 

1,307 at SS (1916-1925)

(Source: STATS Perform)

Are we getting ahead of ourselves? Of course we are. But what the heck. Olson has no intention of pulling the plug on this streak any time soon. So he’s closer to big-time Iron Man history than anyone seems to have noticed. Now let’s look at what drives him.

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Why Matt Olson just keeps on posting

Long before Matt Olson began streaking toward Rose and Gehrig, he played all 162 games for the A’s back in 2018. He was 24. It was his first full season in the big leagues. But he didn’t join the 162-Game Club just because the A’s had no one else to play first. No, even back then, Olson was a man with a purpose.

β€œIt’s kind of how I was wired, growing up, a little bit anyway,” he said. β€œBut when I got to the big leagues, Marcus Semien was there in Oakland. And he was adamant about playing every day.”

You hear Semien’s name a lot when this subject comes up. Maybe because the Rangers’ second baseman is about to rack up his eighth season playing 155 games or more, in just 10 seasons as a regular in the big leagues. How many other players have done that over these last 10 seasons? Yep, none.

Semien has had three seasons in that span when he played all 162 games. That’s tied for the most among all active players. Want to guess who’s tied with him? Right. Matt Olson.

So even as he was still figuring out how to be an everyday player, Olson had Semien’s voice in his ear, preaching the meaning of literallyΒ playing every day. All these years later, that voice is still there. He was so conscious of Semien’s determination to will his way into the lineup every day, it was hard for Olson β€” and the rest of those A’s β€” to envision what would happen if anyone even tried to make Semien take a day off.

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β€œI don’t think anybody wanted to find out,” Olson said. β€œI remember he had, like, a little wrist thing going on one time β€” some inflammation, that sort of thing. The staff wanted to give him a couple days off. I don’t know exactly how it went. I just know there were some words exchanged. Then sure enough, he’s in the lineup that night.

β€œWhat Marcus always preached was: You owe it to your teammates and the fans (to be out there). And you get paid to play. You’re not going to be 100 percent every game. But you know, a lot of times, Marcus Semien at 85 percent is better than a lot of other people’s 100 percent. So you just have to be able to find how to navigate it, maybe cut some workload down before the game … so you find a way to be out there.”

Now, that’s exactly what Olson preaches to the players around him. He says that since he arrived in Atlanta, he has never once had to fight his way into the lineup β€” and has never been physically hurting enough that his health even became a question.

β€œThe way I look at it, you’re eitherΒ hurt hurt, or you’re able to go,” he said. β€œSo knock on wood, I haven’t had a lot of those, like, halfway injuries β€” you know, something where they tell you rest would help but you’re not totally hurt.”

So he’s a firm believer in the old Marcus Semien adage: If it’s not broken, you can play. But he also has seen enough of his teammates go down around him that he knows how fortunate he is that all that stuff that can happen in baseball hasn’t happened to him.

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β€œThere’s a ton of luck involved with that,” he said. β€œYou know, shoot, just look at our last 30 games, of (all the) guys getting hit by pitches.”

ThereΒ wasΒ one day in September 2022 when his manager, Brian Snitker, didn’t start him, on a Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia. It was Game 152 of Olson’s first season in Atlanta. So his streak wasn’t a topic yet. And Snitker acknowledged he wanted to give his first baseman some kind of breather β€” but knew going in it almost certainly wouldn’t be for all nine innings.

β€œI said (to him): β€˜You know what? We’ve got to win, like 12-0, for you not to play in that game,” Snitker recalled.

So sure enough, he subbed Olson in for defense in the eighth inning. Olson has started every day since. But that can only happen if his team buys into the meaning of that. So let’s look at …

Why the Braves are on board


Matt Olson admires a home run. β€œThe players are the ones that set the culture,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said. (Brad Penner / USA Today)

Is less really more? People may think that way now in the inner sanctum of most franchises. But in Atlanta, they have a different motto:

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More is more.

Nowhere else in baseball is the concept of posting up more ingrained in the culture than it is in the heartbeat of the Atlanta Braves. Remember 2021, when their entire starting infield played between 156 and 160 games, missing 13 games combined? That wasn’t an aberration. It’s what they do.

Most seasons of 157+ games, 2018-23

Braves

14

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Royals

7

Blue Jays

6

Most seasons of 162 games, 2018-23

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BravesΒ 

5

Other 14 NL teams combined

5

So part of why he’s so committed to going out there, Olson said, is that he grew up in Georgia as a Braves fan … β€œand that’s just what they’ve done forever. Maybe it’s because maybe I grew up watching the Braves, and I loved seeing the guys in the lineup every day.”

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That work ethic was preached by Chipper Jones, back when he was playing more than 150 games in eight seasons in a row. It was passed down to Freddie Freeman, who had six seasons as a Brave in which he missed five games or fewer. Now, it’s Olson … and Austin Riley … and Ozzie Albies … who keep that culture alive, broken bones notwithstanding.

β€œIΒ don’t believe that it’s the organization that’s setting the culture,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said. β€œThe players are the ones that set the culture. That’s impacted by what players we acquire. But look, the β€˜Games Played’ column is something we looked at with Matt Olson. … Obviously, he’s a very good player, but that’s part of what drew us to him as well.”

And never have the Braves appreciated that quality more than this year, when it feels as though some sort of freak injury has knocked out everybody on the roster … except Matt Olson.

But it isn’t just the Braves’ injury epidemic that Olson has had to dodge this year. It’s a force that can sometimes be even harder to avoid:

The Noise.

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When you hit 54 homers with a .993 OPS one year … and then sag to 25 homers with a .764 OPS the next, it’s amazing how all those standing ovations can turn into The Noise. When your OPS plunges by more than 200 points, The Noise can turn a guy’s dedication to playing every day into a whole different narrative: He’s selfish. He needs a rest. He’s killing that team. Blahblahblah.

That noise is out there. But if the Braves hear it, or care about it, they’re doing an excellent job of disguising it.

β€œI hear it,” Snitker said. β€œBut I don’t pay attention to it, because I’ll talk to the player. And if he feels like he needs a day off, then I will. But I never (thought that), watching (Olson) and how he handled everything. It wasn’t going like he really wanted. But you know what? He came to work every day, the same guy, and I never saw that he was tired. … So I just never felt like he needed it.”

Olson, not surprisingly, seconds that motion.

β€œYou never know when your day is going to be,” he said. β€œYou know, if it’s going bad, sure, I can see the benefit of sometimes sitting back and watching the game. But it doesn’t solve the problem. The only thing you can do is go out there and work your way out of something that’s not going well. So it’s never been something that’s really crossed my mind.”

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But there’s a bigger question out there β€” and it isn’t only about Matt Olson. So let’s just ask it …

Is it OK to ignore load management?

If Cal Ripken Jr. was just arriving in the big leagues in 2024, what would the odds be that he’d be chasing down Lou Gehrig’s record someday? What do you think … 10 percent? … 5 percent? … 0 percent?

I asked that question of one of baseball’s brightest workload-management authorities, Casey Mulholland, the other day. He found it just as intriguing as you’d imagine.

β€œIt would sort of depend on what organization he’s playing for,” Mulholland said. β€œIt would depend on how much they value the idea of him being a franchise player for them.”

Would he be playing for a team that didn’t believe anybody should play more than 150 games? Or would he be playing for a team that did what Ripken’s Orioles did back in the day β€” listen to him all those times when he said: β€œI’m not really hurt. Let me play. I can do this.”

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β€œPlayers are still having that discussion,” said Mulholland, the founder/lead developer at KineticPro Performance in Tampa, Fla. β€œJust now, it’s becoming much more scientific, a much more mathematical discussion, versus, β€˜Hey, I feel good,’ and we’re going to talk (about those) feelings and put them back out there on the field. I think that’s the difference.”

You probably can guess where the Braves stand on the load-management spectrum. But when Snitker was asked, point blank, whether he believes in load management, he didn’t hedge.

β€œNo,” he replied, succinctly. β€œI think these guys train to do this every day, right? Because (that’s) the Braves’ culture. … We’ve had guys with broken bones and things like that. But (that mindset of playing every day), I think that keeps them from getting the soft-tissue stuff and pulled muscles and everything.

β€œI’ve learned that over the years. I used to think that, but after being with these guys and talking to the guys that are doing it every day, yeah, they’ve made a believer out of me.”

Β You should know that even though Snitker is 68 and a baseball lifer, he regularly displays a balance between new-age analytic concepts and age-old baseball wisdom. But which of those is β€œLess is More”? We ask because there’s no simpler way to explain the idea behind load management than that: Less really can be more. And the science proves it.

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Mulholland often uses the analogy of a guy running a marathon who had never trained to run those 26 miles. We all know how that works out.

β€œSo then guys get fatigued, and then guys get hurt,” Mulholland said. β€œAnd that’s the idea of load management. We’re trying to avoid fatigue.”

But to be done right, load management needs to be nuanced. Wearable technology can provide important, detailed information on what athletes are and aren’t capable of. But Mulholland asks: Are teams actually using that data? Are those athletes even granting them permission to use it? And if not, and teams are just using arbitrary limits β€” 100 pitches for everyΒ pitcher, 150 games a year forΒ everyΒ position player β€” that can create a whole different set of issues.

Or then there’s the even more basic question: What if this guyΒ hasΒ trained to run that marathon?

And that’s exactly how Anthopoulos looks at Matt Olson β€” as just the latest star player he’s been around who has devoted his life, on and off the field, to the idea that it’s important to play every day.

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β€œSo if he’s not on the injury report and he’s not complaining of anything,” Anthopoulos said, β€œwe’ve just had too many years and too many examples of (what he’s capable of). The guy was a top-four MVP candidate last year, and played every day. … He’s been an elite player with all those games played. So it’s hard to just all of a sudden point to that and say he needs a rest.”

If fatigue was the problem this year, how do we explain why August was Olson’s best month (eight home runs, .573 slugging percentage, .912 OPS) of the season?

The Braves have looked long and hard at the concept of load management. But they also believe in the value of a centerpiece player who sends a message to everyone around him that the quest for greatness begins with work ethic.

β€œIt’s all just been a mentality,” Anthopoulos said. β€œAnd look, obviously, some of it is luck. You can get hit by a pitch, and so on. But those guys that post and play every day, year after year, I don’t think it’s a coincidence. I don’t think it’s luck. There’s definitely a common trait to all these guys.”

And Matt Olson is all about that trait. He knows his streak will end someday, because all streaks do. But when it does, it won’t be because he and his team suddenly have discovered a newfound belief in load management.

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β€œI’m not a fan of it,” Olson said. β€œI mean, I can see the reasons for it. It’s a long season. But it’s also a game of rhythm and flow. And I would rather just continue to go.”

β€” The Athletic’s David O’Brien contributed to this report.Β 


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Longtime Blackhawks great and broadcaster Troy Murray dies at 63, team says

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Longtime Blackhawks great and broadcaster Troy Murray dies at 63, team says

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Former Chicago Blackhawks standout Troy Murray, who transitioned to the broadcast booth after his playing career, has died, the team announced Saturday. He was 63.

The Blackhawks said he died earlier in the day.

It’s unclear where Murray spent his final moments. Murray publicly disclosed his cancer diagnosis in August 2021. While he revealed he had been undergoing chemotherapy, details about the type of cancer he was fighting were kept private.

Murray, affectionately known as “Muzz,” continued to appear on Blackhawks broadcasts during his cancer battle, though his appearances eventually tapered off. He stepped away from the booth entirely ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season.

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Troy Murray is honored during Hockey Fights Cancer night during a game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks at United Center Nov. 28, 2021, in Chicago. (Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

For more than a decade, Murray starred at center for the Blackhawks. CEO Danny Wirtz said the loss of one of the franchise’s most respected leaders left the team “deeply heartbroken.”

“Troy was the epitome of a Blackhawk so far beyond his incredible playing career, with his presence felt in every corner of our organization over the last 45 years,” Wirtz said.

“During his long and hard battle with cancer, it was often said that Troy didn’t have any ‘give up’ in him,” Wirtz added. “While our front office won’t be the same without him, we will carry that spirit forward every day in his honor. We’ll miss you, Troy.”

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Troy Murray, a former player for the Chicago Blackhawks, is honored during the “One More Shift” campaign prior to a game against the Ottawa Senators at the United Center Feb. 21, 2018, in Chicago.Β  (Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

After 12 seasons with the Blackhawks, Murray finished his NHL career with the Colorado Avalanche, winning the 1996 Stanley Cup.

After spending the following season with the International Hockey League Chicago Wolves, Murray stayed in the city to begin his broadcasting career in 1998. Murray was also named the president of the Blackhawks alumni association.

“Troy Murray is remembered for not only his contributions on the ice, but for his professionalism and humility and dedication to the city of Chicago,” the team said in a release. “He leaves behind a lasting legacy within the Blackhawks family and the broader hockey world.”

Chicago Blackhawks radio announcers John Wiedeman and Troy Murray wear lavender ties in honor of Hockey Fights Cancer night during a game against the Vancouver Canucks Oct. 20, 2010, at the United Center in Chicago. Β  (Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)

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From Calgary, Alberta, Murray topped 20 goals five times, but he also became known for his defensive play. In 1986, he became the Blackhawks’ first player to win the NHL’s Frank J. Selke Trophy, the award for the league’s top defensive forward.

Murray finished with 197 goals in 688 games over two stints with the Blackhawks and also played for the Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins. Overall, he had 230 goals in 915 career games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Not done yet: Khalil Mack agrees to contract extension with Chargers

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Not done yet: Khalil Mack agrees to contract extension with Chargers

Khalil Mack will continue to be a nuisance for opposing quarterbacks for at least one more season.

The Chargers edge rusher agreed to a contract extension with the team Saturday, the team announced. The deal is for one season and $18 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports.

In 12 games last season, Mack, 35, had 5Β½ sacks and 32 tackles, playing a key role alongside Tuli Tuipulotu and Odafe Oweh in spearheading the Chargers’ pass rush and softening the blow of Joey Bosa’s exit from the unit.

Since joining the Chargers via a trade with the Chicago Bears in March 2022, Mack has recorded 36Β½ sacks and 195 tackles. The three-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowl selection missed five games with a left elbow injury early in the season, but he was still a force on defense for the Chargers β€” even when his sack totals were at their lowest mark since his 2014 rookie season.

Mack’s greatest season with the Chargers β€” and arguably his NFL career β€” came in 2023 when he had a franchise-record 17 sacks and finished tied for second in the league with four strip-sacks. During the Chargers’ Week 4 win over Las Vegas that season, he recorded six sacks.

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If Mack’s decision seems familiar, that’s because it is. Last year, he didn’t re-sign with the Chargers until just before the start of free agency as he mulled whether to return or retire. He was persuaded with a one-year, $18-million deal similar to the one he agreed to Saturday.

Mack is a proven Hall of Fame-caliber pass rusher, but he still hasn’t been part of a playoff win. He’s 0-6 in the playoffs and the Chargers’ disheartening loss to the New England Patriots in the wild-card playoffs probably gave him plenty of reasons to think about his future.

With Mack under contract, re-signing Oweh becomes a clear priority for Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz ahead of the free-agent negotiation period beginning Monday.

Oweh had a breakout season in the aftermath of his midseason trade from Baltimore and is considered one of the top defensive players set to be available in free agency. Oweh had 7Β½ sacks and 28 tackles in 12 games with the Chargers.

With Jesse Minter leaving L.A. to become the head coach of the Ravens, Mack will be working under new defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary next season. If Mack can stay healthy, he’ll likely continue to be a valuable contributor to the Chargers’ pass-rushing threat.

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Kyle Pitts blasts β€˜fake emotion’ from NFL players who skipped Rondale Moore’s celebration of life

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Kyle Pitts blasts β€˜fake emotion’ from NFL players who skipped Rondale Moore’s celebration of life

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This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Atlanta Falcons star Kyle Pitts called out the former teammates of Rondale Moore, who tragically died last month from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound, after he said only a handful of them showed up to his celebration of life services on Friday.Β 

Moore, 25, was found dead in the garage of his Indiana home on Feb. 21. Police said at the time that the former NFL receiver died of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound. News of Moore’s death prompted an outpouring of support from around the league and from those who knew Moore.Β 

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (8) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Dec. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

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But Pitts, who became close with Moore after he was traded to the Falcons in 2024, called out what he called the “fake emotion” that was displayed in the wake of Moore’s passing.

Β 

“Crazy how only about 6 maybe 7 of your teammates in the NFL showed up for you today smfh,” he wrote in a post shared to his Instagram Stories. “All that talk and fake emotion and nobody want to show up to lay you to rest.. Just at a loss of words.Β 

“Be woke on who your β€˜brothers’ really are, who really rock with you all areas of life not just in front of cameras or the public,” he continued, adding “Folks just want to throw up a post and not mean it but we ball yb as Kur said, β€˜it might hurt a little’ but we ball.”Β 

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rondale Moore (4) and Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) in action during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 31, 2023.Β  (Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports)

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Moore was a standout football player in college for Purdue. The Arizona Cardinals selected him in the 2021 NFL Draft. He played three seasons in Arizona from 2021 to 2023. He was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 but suffered a season-ending injury.

He joined the Minnesota Vikings in March 2025 and suffered a season-ending injury in a preseason game.Β 

Pitts shared an emotional post about Moore on social media after learning of his death.

“This can’t be real dawg,” he wrote after sharing a carousel of photos on Instagram. “I’m really sitting here crying on even what to say or think bruh.”

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (8) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Dec. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

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“We literally was just on the phone yesterday morning. I’m so hurt dawg, I’d never thought I’d be making this type of post let alone it be about you! Rondale, you’re truly aqt peace now watching over us but I wish you didn’t leave us man. I love you dawg and 4 is going to live on forever.”

Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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