The newest veteran running back to try in becoming who he once was by joining the Texans is Marlon Mack, as the free agent running back signed a deal with Houston this offseason. Mack a couple seasons ago suffered a tough ACL tear, and eventually his former team, the Colts, moved on from his services, leaving Mack looking for his next NFL opportunity.
This is where the Texans came into play, giving Mack a needed second chance in the NFL after recovering from his past injury, all while helping Houston repair a rushing game that was one of the very worst in the NFL last season.
Mack if he’s fully recovered from his ACL tear and surgery, and has the same talents he had during his most successful times with the Colts, will be a huge surprise to many in the NFL, and a player the Texans have been looking for for quite sometime.
Last season the Texans tried their hand with veteran running backs Mark Ingram and David Johnson, but those two did not work out for the rushing game. Others also tried to be the main running back too, but with Rex Burkhead being the best Houston running back for ’21 it was evident that a change needed to be made with the top running back spot.
What is exciting about Mack is he is still only 26 years old, so there is still gas in the tank so to speak, and his last full season in the NFL was 2019, though he’s never played a full schedule at any point of his career.
This isn’t saying Mack will be a 1,000-yard rusher like he was in 2019 (a season where he played 14 games), but he can make the rushing game be respected and that’s the most important thing, as that will help the rest of the offensive unit.
Don’t be shocked when Mack surprises by at least challenging for 1,000 yards in 2022, but more than that he’s going to make the rest of the offense better, and that’s an important part of his game in ’22 as well.