Getty Marlon Mack tries to stiff arm 49ers safety Rashard Robinson during an October 2017 regular season meeting.
The San Francisco 49ers will be facing one member of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday who once represented the ‘Niner trenches in DeForest Buckner. But a new report that surfaced on the morning of Thursday, October 21, reveals that S.F. inquired about one current Colt and former 1,000-yard rusher.
Per Josina Anderson of USA Today, the 49ers were listed among four teams that made trade inquiries for running back Marlon Mack.
In 2019, Mack rushed for 1,091 yards and scored 8 touchdowns in 12 starts for the Colts. He once showed a shifty side to his running ability while with Indy that season:
Plus he busted out this cyclone-like maneuver twice in the same game:
MARLON MACK. SPIN CYCLE. 🌀😳 #JAXvsIND
In the season before, Mack rumbled for 908 yards in 10 starts while crossing the goal line a career-best 9 times.
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Mack, however, has dealt with injuries including a torn Achilles he sustained in 2020 plus losing substantial playing time to the likes of Nyheim Hynes and Jonathan Taylor.
The Current State of the 49ers RB Room
Under head coach Kyle Shanahan, the ‘Niners have aimed to pound opponents with a stout running game — which was the main offensive wave they rode during their 2019-2020 NFC championship run.
But currently, the 49ers sit at No. 21 overall in total rushing yards with 610.
The injury bug has hit this backfield, as Raheem Mostert is out for the year due to his chipped cartilage knee injury. There’s the added speculation that Mostert played his final game in the 49ers’ uniform, as he’s due to become an unrestricted free agent in the spring of 2022 according to Spotrac.
Rookie sixth rounder Elijah Mitchell out of Louisiana has picked up the running load for the ‘Niners — leading the way with 189 total ground-based yards and averaging 4.2 yards a carry. But he’s only scored one touchdown through 45 carries. Fellow rookie Trey Sermon, drafted in the third round from Ohio State, is second on the team with 135 yards and averaging 4.4 yards a carry. Sermon has also scored just once.
No 49er ball carrier has scored past one rushing TD through Week 6.
Mack’s Value
So here’s where things stand contract wise for the 25-year-old Mack:
- Via Spotrac, he’s signed to a one-year, $2 million deal.
- Mack has a base salary of $1 million.
- Like Mostert, Mack is due to become an unrestricted free agent in 2022.
Either way you look, Mack’s Indianapolis future is looking nebulous.
Currently, he’s the Colts’ third best rusher, but at just 97 yards in four games. Mack is also averaging just 3.9 yards a carry. His longest scamper racked up 22 yards and he’s yet to cross the goal line.
Taylor, meanwhile, is the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher with 472 yards. He also has the league’s longest run at 83 yards this season.
And that 83-yard burst came four days ago against the Houston Texans seen below.
The NFL trade deadline is tentatively set for Tuesday, November 2, at 1 p.m. PT. Mack to the 49ers has become the latest possible move on a week when Odell Beckham to the 49ers in exchange for Jimmy Garoppolo became one trade proposal involving the ‘Niners.