Colts Rumors: AFC contender has expressed interest in trading for Marlon Mack

The Indianapolis Colts‘ loss to Baltimore on Monday night is the kind of loss that sends a team into a tailspin.

Up 22-3 with three minutes left in the third quarter…then up 25-9 with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter…we somehow zipped forward to a 25-25 deadlock after Lamar Jackson connected with Mark Andrews for a touchdown and two-point conversion in the final minute.

After a hobbled Rodrigo Blankenship missed a game-winning 47-yard field goal attempt as time expired, the Ravens won the ensuing coin toss in overtime. At that point, it was just a matter of when and how the agony would unfold.

In terms of positive takeaways, Carson Wentz showed out. Jonathan Taylor looked like a superstar. Michael Pittman went full beast mode. Even Marlon Mack showed a burst we hadn’t seen post-Achilles surgery.

Speaking of Mack, it appears Indianapolis’ admittedly risky strategy of showing teams he’s over the injury is paying off.

Per insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Chiefs have looked into Mack as a potential trade target in the wake of Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s knee injury.

Could Colts RB Marlon Mack be on his way to Kansas City?

There hasn’t been much interest in Mack, who requested a trade from the Colts last week, but that appears to be changing with the deadline just a couple weeks away.

Running backs have been dropping like flies this season, and the Chiefs are just the latest team to see their starter go down. While Edwards-Helaire avoided a serious injury on Sunday, he’s expected to miss several weeks with an MCL sprain.

The 2020 first-round pick is Kansas City’s leading rusher this season, compiling 304 yards on the ground at an impressive 4.7 yards per carry.

While the Chiefs have Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon waiting in the wings, both players are more specialists than they are three-down backs. Williams is better situated in short-yardage situations, whereas McKinnon is a menace as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.

Mack would seemingly be a perfect complement to their skillsets. The 25-year-old recovered from his Achilles injury faster than expected — he was a full participant at training camp — and showed on Monday night vs the Ravens (five carries for 42 yards) that he’s ready to be an impact player again.

The Colts might feel reluctant to unload Mack after that performance, but there’s no reason for him to steal touches from Taylor and Nyheim Hines, who signed a three-year extension right before the start of the season.

Taylor and Hines are the present and future of the Colts’ backfield. If the Chiefs come forward with a reasonable offer, GM Chris Ballard should pull the trigger … even if it feels slimy to deal Mack to a contender within the conference.

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