The Jonathan Taylor dream is probably over for Green Bay, and that may be the best thing to happen to the Packers’ deadline plans.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that the Indianapolis Colts are asking for a first-round pick or something close to the San Francisco 49ers’ 2022 Christian McCaffrey package. That deal included second-, third-, and fourth-round picks, plus a future fifth-rounder. For the Packers, that’s the kind of price that shuts the door fast.
So if Green Bay is going to upgrade the backfield before the November 10 trade deadline, it needs to look elsewhere. Tony Pollard fits that lane.
Breer also reported that the Tennessee Titans have listened to offers for Pollard, and the expectation is that it would take “at least a fourth-round pick” to get him. That’s a much more workable number for a Packers team that already has two fourth-round selections on hand: its own pick and the one from Dallas in the Rashan Gary trade.
There’s also more draft flexibility coming. Over The Cap projects Green Bay will receive four compensatory picks in 2027 - a third-rounder for losing Malik Willis, fifth-rounders for Quay Walker and Romeo Doubs, and a sixth-rounder for Kingsley Enagbare. Those picks can’t be traded yet, but they do make a fourth-rounder feel a lot less precious.
Pollard would also address a real problem. Entering Week 9, the Packers rank dead last in rushing offense at 60.6 yards per game.
That’s not just bad - it’s miles behind everyone else. The No.
31 Las Vegas Raiders are at 77.3.
The offensive line and the run-blocking deserve plenty of blame, but the backs have not been spotless either. ESPN has Green Bay 16th in run-block win rate, which makes the production look even stranger.
There have been moments that sum up the issue. Against the Carolina Panthers last week, the Packers opened a rushing lane that looked huge, but MarShawn Lloyd made the wrong read. He saw a safety 15 yards away, tried to bounce the run outside, and lost yardage instead.
Pollard brings a different kind of answer. He has the vision and the experience to hit the opening when it’s there, even if the blocking isn’t perfect. And in Tennessee, the blocking has not been perfect.
The Titans are 27th in run-block win rate by ESPN’s numbers, and Pro Football Focus has them 31st in run blocking, with Green Bay sitting 32nd. Still, Pollard has produced.
PFF says he has 469 rushing yards after contact, which ranks seventh among running backs. His 3.53 yards per carry after contact rank 11th, and he has forced 23 missed tackles, good for 12th.
He’s also ripped off 13 runs of 10 or more yards, tied for 10th at the position. That’s the kind of burst and efficiency the Packers could use right now.
It wouldn’t fix everything. Green Bay still needs help up front. But compared with the cost of chasing Jonathan Taylor, Pollard looks like the smarter, more realistic swing.
In Other News...
Jordan Love Is Giving Packers Fans A Very Familiar Feeling
Jordan Love spent Sunday looking every bit like the quarterback Green Bay has been waiting for, carving up the Patriots in a 45-27 win with a command that felt increasingly familiar to Packers fans. He completed 23 of 29 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, added a rushing score, and kept the offense humming from start to finish in one of the cleanest outings of his career.
The numbers now put Love at the top of the league in passing yards and third in touchdowns, a striking place for a quarterback still shaping his own identity in Green Bay. After the game, he said the performance ranked among the best he has had, and the bigger question for the Packers is how often this version shows up as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Offense Exposed A Patriots Weakness Fans Will Love
The Packers left New England with a 45-27 win, and one of the clearest takeaways from the game was how often Green Bay found success attacking Christian Gonzalez in coverage. The Patriots cornerback had a rough afternoon, and it became a central part of a loss that exposed some real issues in New Englands secondary.
Afterward, Mike Vrabel was direct about Gonzalez not meeting expectations and also accepted some responsibility for the defense not being ready for what Green Bay brought. Gonzalez owned his performance and said he would move on and get ready for the next game, but the bigger question now is how the Patriots plan to respond after a matchup that left them with plenty to clean up. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Just Sent A Dangerous Message With More Help Coming
The Packers 45-27 win over the Patriots was the kind of statement that travels well beyond one Sunday afternoon. Jordan Love was sharp, the defense kept creating short fields and the offense looked comfortable piling on points while the pass rush and takeaway game kept New England from ever settling in. Evan Williams and Trey Smack also turned in notable performances, adding to the sense that Green Bay is getting contributions from all over the roster at the right time.
What makes the message even louder is what could be on the way next. The Packers are already playing with the kind of balance and aggression that can make them dangerous, and the possibility of Micah Parsons returning only adds another layer to the picture. If this is the version of Green Bay that shows up now, the rest of the league has reason to pay attention to what comes when the lineup gets even stronger. [Read more 🡒]