Colts Free Agent RB Marlon Mack Visited the Texans

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Indianapolis Colts free agent running back Marlon Mack visited the Houston Texans on Tuesday:

With little opportunity for playing time behind Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Mack will not return to the Colts—who was discussed with other NFL suitors before the trade deadline last season, but no such deal was ever reached.

On 28 carries in 2021, Mack rushed for 101 total rushing yards (3.6 ypc. avg.) during 6 games, but didn’t quite resemble his old self coming off of injury.

Still only 26 years old—and with more recovery time since his 2020 season-ending torn Achilles in the Colts opener, it’s possible Mack may have better regained some of his lost explosiveness and burst ahead of 2022.

If he can regain his prior form, he’s just two years removed a really good season in which he rushed for over 1,000 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns with the Colts in 2019.

There may not be a better backfield to win a starting job outright than with the Colts’ AFC South divisional rival Texans either, who currently have veteran Rex Burkhead, Dare Ogunbowale, and Royce Freeman as the primary competition for carries.

Even if it would stink to see Mack in a Texans’ uniform, he’s been a consummate teammate with the Colts and a veteran mentor to their young backs, and it would be nice to see him bounce back and have a strong rebound season elsewhere (just not against the Colts twice a season).