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September 20 update: After an injury to Tyrion Davis-Price, the 49ers have decided to sign Mack to the active roster. There’s a real chance he takes over the backfield while Davis-Price and Elijah Mitchell recover from injuries. Mack’s workload is hard to predict, as Kyle Shanahan likes to rotate his running backs.
49ers are signing veteran RB Marlon Mack on to their active roster from their practice squad, per his agents @DrewJRosenhaus and @NFLrecord. 49ers are without injured RBs Elijah Mitchell and Tyrion Davis-Price.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 20, 2022
The San Francisco 49ers have signed veteran running back Marlon Mack to their practice squad, per Adam Schefter. This news comes on the heels of their placing starting running back Eli Mitchell on injured reserve.
Mack is heading into the sixth season of his career. He spent the first five years with the Indianapolis Colts. Mack was signed in the offseason by the Houston Texans but was a roster cut ahead of the regular season beginning. While Mack had lost a lot of his opportunity based on the Colts drafting running back phenom Jonathan Taylor, he is still a serviceable back.
Mack is only two seasons removed from a season with Indy that saw him tally 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns. He had nine rushing touchdowns the year before and could be a sneaky add for the 49ers. At the very least, he will bring a veteran presence to the practice squad with a roster of young running backs on it. Mack can be elevated to the main roster for three games with no new contract with the new practice squad rules. If the 49ers were to elevate him for a fourth game, he would be signed to the active roster.