Indianapolis Colts running back Marlon Mack got dealt a tough hand tearing his Achilles just two quarters into the 2020 regular season and now has an uncertain future with his current team as free agency looms.
An unrestricted free agent now that his rookie contract expired, Mack could be heading toward free agency when the new league year arrives in March.
In his end-of-year press conference, general manager Chris Ballard gave heaps of praises for Mack but admitted they might not be able to facilitate another contract for the running back.
Colts GM Chris Ballard said RB Marlon Mack deserves a nice contract, but he's not sure it can happen in Indy. Ballard isn't shutting the door on Mack, though.
— Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNFL) January 14, 2021
This isn’t to say the Colts won’t bring Mack on a one-year deal if his market is dry, which is possible given the injury he suffered. The talented and explosive running back emerged as a strong starter in 2018 and 2019 but lost his 2020 campaign due to the injury.
And now with Jonathan Taylor capping off an incredibly strong rookie season, the odds of Mack returning on anything other than a cheap, one-year deal are low.
The offseason will feature many twists and turns so it isn’t a definite that Mack won’t be returning but the writing appears to be on the wall for the former fourth-round pick.
