KC Chiefs: Free agent signings who make most sense

Marlon Mack, running back

The Kansas City Chiefs are likely going to reinvent another position this offseason although doing so doesn’t mean all that much in the way of retooling. Rather it simply means we’re likely going to see some new horses in the backfield for the Chiefs with Jerick McKinnon and Darrel Williams both scheduled to hit free agency.

Last October, the Chiefs were linked in reports (via Jeremy Fowler) to Marlon Mack, the running back for the Indianapolis Colts, given the injuries they were dealing with at the time. The Chiefs ended up rolling with in-house candidates and it worked out just fine (at least in the run game), but Mack is now a free agent and the Chiefs have a need for a veteran back if they’re not going to re-sign anyone.

Mack is an intriguing free agent target given that he’s proven himself as a productive back at the NFL level in years past and yet he’s got remarkably little wear on the tires, so to speak. In 2020, Mack tore his ACL after his first game and sat for the rest of the year. Jonathan Taylor took over and the Colts liked him in tandem with Nyheim Hines. Suddenly Mack fell out of favor in Indy and had only 101 yards rushing in 6 games.

Between 2018-19, however, Mack put together 1,999 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, not to mention a solid 4.5 yards/carry average. Mack also caught 31 passes in that span. If the Chiefs are going to let Williams go, Mack should be a fairly inexpensive target to replace him and keep the chains moving just fine.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is the lead back for 2022 and beyond and Derrick Gore is potentially still around but adding Mack to the mix along with a likely late-round rookie in the draft would give the Chiefs more depth, talent, and youth heading into the season.