A few weeks ago, there was a report that the Indianapolis Colts and running back Marlon Mack are working on a contract extension as he enters his final contract year, but owner Jim Irsay refuted that report.
Speaking before the NFL Combine on Sunday, Irsay commented on the talks with left tackle Anthony Castonzo. He didn’t have a definitive answer for that, he did refute the report about a potential extension for Mack, of which he simply called wrong.
Irsay: hoping to get something done with Anthony Castonzo, but nothing to report right now.
Reports on Colts pursuing extension for Marlon Mack are wrong.
— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) February 23, 2020
While the report did come from a reliable reporter, Irsay’s comments about the contract talks—or lack thereof—is certainly an interesting twist in what is expected for the running back.
Mack is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He’s been the starter for the last two seasons and has done an admirable job leading the backfield. In 2019, he took 247 carries for 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns. The biggest crux has been the injuries Mack has dealt with. He’s missed eight games over the last two seasons.
However, there is a concern about the running back position as a whole. Typically, it is difficult to find running backs that make good on the value of the second contract. The sheer nature of the position is so physical that the shelf life for players at the position is the shortest in the NFL.
Now, Mack is only 23 years old and has only one season with more than 200 carries. That should certainly be taken into account when looking at the extension. He’s not a running back that has taken 250 carries in each of the last four seasons. He still has plenty left in the tank.
What is truly going on with the contract talks isn’t clear at all, so this might just be a wait and see situation rather than something that’s a near guarantee.