According to CBS Sports Cody Benjamin, the Indianapolis Colts trading running back Marlon Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers is one of his proposed 10 NFL trade deadline deals:

8. Chargers acquire Colts RB Marlon Mack

Potential cost: 2022 sixth-round pick

Los Angles is content with Justin Jackson behind Austin Ekeler, but if the Chargers are serious about challenging out of the AFC West this year, Mack would make sense as proven insurance for an offense that needs to help Justin Herbert a bit more. The Colts, meanwhile, have no reason to keep the former starter, with Jonathan Taylor firmly established as the man in the backfield.

With the NFL’s trade deadline quickly approaching on Tuesday, November 2, at 4 PM EST, there are some ‘last minute moves’ that could still be made. While the NFL trade deadline is nowhere near like the NFL or MLB’s organized chaos, it has picked up a bit in recent seasons compared to the relative non-existent maneuvering we used to see historically.

That being said, if you asked Colts fans, they’d probably rather see the Colts acquire a starting caliber safety for Mack—in the wake of Julian Blackmon’s season-ending torn Achilles, over a late round draft pick which likely won’t bring much value back anyways.

Maybe even another capable backup cornerback would help—for a banged up Colts secondary collectively.

As it stands, while Mack can still provide value to the Colts, as he has 28 carries for 101 total rushing yards (3.6 ypc. avg.), his role is largely limited as a ‘change-of-pace’ or ‘breather-back’ behind both star running back Jonathan Taylor and electric scatback Nyheim Hines.

Buried on the depth chart, the Colts also have 4th-string running back Jordan Wilkins (non-football illness), who finally (*and fortunately) returned to practice as a full participant—and is more than capable of filling Mack’s current role, once elevated to the third running back role again.

Currently, Mack, as a former 2017 4th round pick has 567 career carries for 2,484 rushing yards (4.4 ypc. avg.) and 20 rushing touchdowns during 46 games (23 starts). His best season for the Colts came in 2019, when he rushed for over 1,000 rushing yards.

Mack can help another NFL team’s backfield and deserves more of an opportunity elsewhere—having been a consummate pro and mentor to younger running backs in Indy, but is a late round pick enough to push the needle for the Colts to actually make a move?