The Atlanta Falcons enjoyed one of their most successful runs in franchise history during the 2010s, even making a Super Bowl appearance in 2016. Falcons fans probably don’t want to talk about what happened during that game, but there were several notable faces that made that run happen.
One of those players was wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. While Julio Jones led Atlanta with 83 catches for 1,409 yards and six touchdowns during the 2016 season, Sanu was the second-leading receiver on the team with 59 catches for 653 yards and four touchdowns.
It was part of a 3.5-year run with the Falcons that ended in 2019, and after playing his last snap in 2021, Sanu officially decided to call it a career, announcing his retirement on Friday morning.
Former Falcons WR Mohamed Sanu Announces His Retirement
Sanu broke into the NFL as a third-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals and made his way to Atlanta on a five-year, $32.5 million free agent contract before the 2016 season. His first season in Atlanta provided a solid complement to Jones at receiver while also helping the Falcons become the league’s No. 1 scoring offense and the 10th highest scoring offense in NFL history with 540 points.
Aside from the stats, Sanu also made some big plays on the way to the Super Bowl, including a go-ahead touchdown reception from Matt Ryan with 31 seconds remaining that gave the Falcons a 33-32 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 8.
That win proved pivotal in giving the 11-5 Falcons home-field advantage over the 10-6 Packers in the NFC Championship Game. Sanu took advantage, catching five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown in a 44-21 win, and Atlanta made its first Super Bowl appearance since the 1998 season.
Sanu went on to catch 225 passes for 2,507 yards and 14 touchdowns during his time in Atlanta before he was traded to the New England Patriots midway through the 2019 season. He went on to play for the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions and finished his career with 435 catches for 4,871 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Even more impressive was that Sanu was able to make an impact with his arm, completing seven of his eight career passes for 233 yards, four touchdowns, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
There were other players that played bigger roles, such as Jones, Ryan, and Devonta Freeman. But Sanu made an impact as one of the secondary threats on the team, making him a key part of one of the Falcons’ most successful seasons in franchise history.