Marlon Mack Out for Week 5 vs. Patriots Due to Hamstring Injury

The Indianapolis Colts will again have to rely on their depth at running back after Marlon Mack was ruled out for the team's Week 5 game against the New England Patriots on Thursday night because of a hamstring injury.

The Colts announced the status update Wednesday.

Mack is taking over as the Colts' No. 1 running back after playing behind Frank Gore in 2017. He had a solid rookie campaign with 583 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns in 14 games. 

He's only made one appearance this season, however, tallying 10 carries for 34 yards against the Washington Redskins in Week 2.

The Colts' season depends entirely on the health of quarterback Andrew Luck. Having him under center for all 16 games will get them back into playoff contention in the AFC South after going just 4-12 in 2017. 

Improvement from Mack out of the backfield could take a lot of the burden off Luck and force opposing defenses to respect the run. Rookie Jordan Wilkins should see more action with the South Florida product on the sidelines. Nyheim Hines will also receive backfield snaps Thursday.