Latest Rumors on Marlon Mack's Contract After Colts Draft Jonathan Taylor

With the Indianapolis Colts drafting running back Jonathan Taylor with the 41st overall pick on Friday, time may be running out for Marlon Mack in the Hoosier State. 

According to Stephen Holder of The Athletic, the addition of Taylor makes it "doubtful" the team will extend Mack. There were no planned contract talks with Mack before the draft began, and those are thrown into even more doubt with Friday's selection. 

In three seasons with the Colts, Mack has continually taken steps forward but hasn't become the workhorse back the team has needed. 

Mack has yet to play more than 14 games in a season, and after starting 12 games last year, he finished with 1,091 yards, eight touchdowns and 4.4 yards per carry. That made him the 11th-most productive running back in the league in 2019, but the Colts apparently aren't convinced he can lead their backfield into the future. 

The fourth-round pick in 2017 now enters a contract year with plenty of competition around him. Aside from Taylor, the USF product will also have to watch out for Nyheim Hines on the depth chart behind him. 

Indianapolis Star reporter Jim Ayello wrote the Colts were looking to begin extension talks with Mack following February's NFL Scouting Combine: "That the Colts and Mack are discussing an extension should come as little surprise. Both sides expressed recent interest in striking a deal. During his year-end news conference, general manager Chris Ballard praised Mack for his toughness after being asked about extensions to eligible Colts."

The GM said: "Part of our offseason evaluation (is)—we know, we're going to try to take care of our own—so who are guys that we want to extend? Marlon, look, he easily could have missed more games (with a broken hand), but he didn't. He fought to get back in because he wanted to play."

That calculus changed sometime since the end of February. No talks were held, and instead the Colts spent one of their first draft picks on a star running back who's capable of leading their backfield.