The former Colts’ 1,000 yard rusher has drawn trade interest from a handful of potential NFL trade suitors.
According to NFL Insider Josina Anderson, multiple NFL teams are interested in trading for recently made available Indianapolis Colts running back Marlon Mack:
I’m told the #Chiefs, #Panthers, #49ers &/t #Saints are among teams that made preliminary inquiries for #Colts RB Marlon Mack over the last few weeks. Any teams potentially dealing for Mack would acquire his 2021 base salary of $1M fully guaranteed (prorated), per league source.
— IG: JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) October 21, 2021
Of course, the running back needy Kansas City Chiefs’ interest was reported over a week ago—but we now know the names of at least a few more potentially interested suitors.
On the season, Mack has 25 carries for 95 total rushing yards (3.9 ypc. avg.) during 4 games—having been used as a ‘change-of-pace’ back behind the Colts’ standout tandem of Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines.
The former 2019 1,000+ yard rusher for the Colts has looked pretty effective—especially coming off a season-ending torn Achilles suffered in 2020. However, there just isn’t a large enough role for him to carve out currently in the Colts’ crowded backfield.
Having just restructured veteran wideout T.Y. Hilton’s salary to save $2.3M in cap space, the Colts may also want to shed Mack’s $2M salary—given that buried 4th-string running back Jordan Wilkins is also overqualified to fill Mack’s current ‘change-of-pace’ role and could easily step into such an opportunity (if needed).
Still only 25 years old, the former 2017 4th round pick is probably deserving of a bigger role elsewhere—and the Colts may want the extra salary cap space and late round NFL draft pick (in trade compensation from a suitor) for a limited role Wilkins could comfortably occupy.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Colts eventually pull the trigger on trading Mack—and which NFL team ‘wins the sweepstakes’.