Getty Marlon Mack rushing the ball for the Indianapolis Colts.
After suffering another running back injury in Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers have reportedly elevated Marlon Mack from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, according to Drew Rosenhaus, Robert Bailey, and Adam Schefter.
A fourth-round pick of the Colts in 2017, Mack rushed for 2,484 yards and 20 touchdowns over his five-year tenure in Indianapolis. Though he appeared in just six games over the past two years, and requested a trade that ultimately failed to materialize, Mack was afforded an opportunity to spread his wings in the spring of 2022 by signing with the Houston Texans in April, only to be waived four months later due in part to the drafting of new bell cow back Dameon Pierce.
From there, Mack remained a popular name among RB-needy teams before signing with the 49ers’ practice squad on September 13. Though he wasn’t ultimately elevated to the practice squad to perform in Week 2, Tyrion Davis-Price‘s high ankle sprain opened the door for more touches for the South Florida product and created much more urgency to keep him around long-term.
Tyrion Davis-Price Is Expected To Miss “A Few Weeks”
When asked about Davis-Price’s Week 2 injury, Kyle Shanahan provided some less-than-ideal information about his team’s 2022 third round pick.
“Ty did it (got injured) early in the game, but he didn’t know about it and neither did we,” Shanahan told his team’s official website. “We never knew that he was hurt. He didn’t, so he was able to go most of the game, so JP (Jordan Mason) didn’t get in there on offense. He’ll have to be ready this week.”
Though the elevation of Mack to the 49ers’ active roster will certainly help to elevate the team’s running back floor moving forward, Shanahan insists that John Lynch isn’t done looking for ways to upgrade the roster across the board.
“We didn’t know about Ty until a little bit later, but we’ve got to get on that (adding personnel),” Shanahan said. “We know we had some in last week, and we’re going to have to bring in a group again.”
The San Francisco 49ers Need Another Big Week From Jeff Wilson
Jeff Wilson had a quiet showing in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season. Though he was on the field for 59 percent of the team’s offensive snaps, he only rushed the ball nine times for 22 yards and picked up eight more yards on two receptions versus two targets.
In Week 2, fortunately, Wilson looked like a completely different back.
Earning his first start since Week 16 of the 2021 NFL season, Wilson actually earned three fewer rushing snaps than in Week 1, dropping from 40 to 37, but was utilized far more effectively, running the ball 18 times for 84 yards with two more receptions this time for 19 yards. Wilson averaged 4.67 yards per carry, which is .47 better than his career average of 42. and led all Niners in yards from scrimmage at 103.
Even with Mack now signed to the 53-man roster, San Francisco is going to need another big week from Wilson to keep their win streak alive and go to 2-0 in the division.