The Titans’ first three weeks have put them in an awkward spot, and that could turn Tony Pollard into a name worth watching as the NFL trade deadline approaches.
Tennessee is 0-3, the offense has had trouble moving the ball with any consistency, and Cam Ward hasn’t looked as good as the team expected in year two. If that slide continues, the Titans would be one of the cleaner sell candidates on the deadline market.
That’s where ESPN’s Dan Graziano comes in. He pointed to Pollard as a player who could be available if Tennessee is out of the race and comfortable with what it has in the backfield.
"If he's healthy and not in Tennessee's long-term plans beyond this season, Pollard is the kind of player who could be on the move," Graziano writes.
That gets to the two big boxes Tennessee would have to check: Pollard would need to be healthy, and the Titans would need to decide they’re not extending him beyond this season. If both of those things are true, moving the former Cowboys running back starts to make real sense.
The return wouldn’t be huge, but it would still likely beat whatever Tennessee might get later through compensatory draft-pick value. And for a team that looks built more for the long haul than a quick fix, that matters.
Around the league, the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers stand out as clubs that could use a back like Pollard. He hasn’t been elite in Tennessee, but he’s done enough to stay on the radar as a possible trade target.
If early November arrives and the Titans are still well outside the postseason picture, Pollard becomes even easier to imagine on the move. It would be a clear sign the season has gone off track, but with Tyjae Spears and Nicholas Singleton also in the mix, Tennessee could decide the draft capital is worth more than the rest of Pollard’s season.
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