Marlon

Mack

Mack signed with the Cardinals as a depth option last week but went down the injury at practice on Tuesday. This is the second time in his career he has torn his Achilles’ tendon. It’s a brutal break for a player who has only appeared in 15 games over the past two years. He was fighting for the RB2 role in Arizona with Keontay Ingram. The Cardinals will either look to another free agent or roll with Ingram as their backup going forward.

Cardinals reporter Bo Brack noted that the newly-signed running back had to be helped off the field after the injury. Mack has struggled through numerous injuries since serving as an integral piece to the Colts’ backfield in 2018-2019, and just joined the Cardinals four days ago. Mack is thought to be competing with second-year back Keaontay Ingram for backup duties behind starter James Conner.

Mack split his 2022 regular season between the 49ers and Broncos after a cup of coffee in Houston during the preseason. He ended the year on injured reserve after earning just 16 carries and eight catches, all of which came with the Broncos. Mack could compete with Keaontay Ingram for the RB2 gig in Arizona, but he is just as likely to be left off the roster at the end of August.

Mack hasn’t seen serious backfield work since 2020 with the Colts, a year after he tore his Achilles. Last year he was active for a combined eight games with the Broncos and 49ers but only received 16 carries. If he signs with Arizona, Mack would likely be the team’s RB3 at best.

This will end Mack’s season. Bouncing around between the Texans (preseason), 49ers, and Broncos, Mack accumulated just 16 rushes and 8 receptions, with 183 total yards and two total touchdowns. The 27-year-old will be a free agent this offseason and will try to find another backup role.

With Chase Edmonds back, Mack was returning kicks when he hurt the hamstring. Consider him questionable for Week 18 against the Chargers.

Mack has now totaled 140 yards and two touchdowns over the last two weeks, averaging a solid 6.5 yards per carry over that span. Mack found the end zone on a three-yard rushing touchdown to give the Broncos their first touchdown on the day and later ripped off a 17-yard run to help setup a 10-yard touchdown run by Latavius Murray. On the long road to recovery from a torn Achilles that ended his 2020 season, Mack has flashed some explosiveness in his brief stint with the Broncos. The former 1,000-yard rusher isn’t quite on the fantasy radar but could draw some interest from teams this offseason if he’s able to close out this season with a few strong weeks.

In his first real action as a Bronco, Mack led the backfield in targets and broke a 66-yard touchdown in the first half on a Russell Wilson dump off pass. Mack showed excellent burst and speed on the catch and run, appearing far more explosive than lead back Latavius Murray. Mack could see more run in the coming weeks if the Broncos want to see what they have in the journeyman with a 1,000-yard on his resume. Mack can be rostered in deeper formats.

Mack joined the Broncos shortly after the team lost Mike Boone to an ankle injury in Week 7. Mack, who has bounced around to several teams since departing from the Colts after the 2021 season, has yet to log an offensive touch in 2022 despite appearing in two games this season. Running back Devine Ozigbo was named as the Broncos’ third running back for Week 8.

Mike Boone suffered an ankle injury against the Jets and left the stadium in a walking boot, per ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. X-Rays were negative on Boone’s ankle, but it still sounds like he could miss an extended period of time. Legwold reports that the Broncos had already contacted Mack’s representatives before the game had ended. Mack will be joining the third least-efficient running game in the NFL. He can be left on waivers in all but the deepest of leagues.