Marlon Mack, Colts Reportedly Agree to New 1-Year, $2M Contract
March 17, 2021
The Indianapolis Colts and running back Marlon Mack agreed to a new one-year, $2 million contract on Wednesday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
The Colts picked the 25-year-old in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft. He's been a mid-round steal at times for the Colts, rushing for 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns in his third pro season.
That followed a 2018 campaign where he gained 1,011 scrimmage yards and 10 scores despite missing four contests.
However, the 2020 season ended almost as soon as it began after Mack suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 6'0", 210-pounder has proved capable of being the Colts' bell-cow back in any given week, with five games of 25 or more rushes during his NFL stint.
He isn't much of a pass-catching threat with just 55 career receptions, but he's excelled on the ground and helped the Colts reach the AFC Divisional Round in 2018 after the team started 1-5.
Mack is back with the Colts, but his starting job appears to be in the hands of Jonathan Taylor, the second-year back out of Wisconsin. Taylor eventually took hold of the No. 1 running back job and never looked back, amassing 1,468 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns on 268 touches.
He notably rushed for 253 yards and two touchdowns in the regular-season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars to vault the Colts into the playoffs.
Nyheim Hines figures to be the Colts' third-down back once again, leaving Mack as the team's third option at the position and insurance in case Taylor misses time. Mack should be an excellent backup if he returns anywhere close to his pre-injury form, however.