The Green Bay Packers don’t need a splashy fix at running back so much as they need somebody who can steady the whole thing. That’s why Tony Pollard has emerged as the kind of trade target that makes a lot of sense for a team trying to patch a real problem before the 2026 NFL Trade Deadline.
With the offensive line showing some signs of progress, the Packers’ clearest weakness is still the backfield. Unless Green Bay wants to pay a premium in both money and draft capital for a bigger name like Jonathan Taylor, Pollard looks like the cleaner fit. He’s a proven veteran, he’s productive, and he’s the kind of player who doesn’t need the offense built around him to make an impact.
Pollard is in his eighth season and is chasing a fifth straight year with at least 1,250 scrimmage yards. The 29-year-old former Pro Bowler has never finished a season averaging fewer than four yards per carry, and he’s sitting at 4.5 yards per touch on a 1-7 Titans team. No matter what Tennessee has around him, he keeps finding ways to produce.
According to Easton Butler, Green Bay has already checked in with Tennessee about Pollard’s availability, and the price is believed to be a third- or fourth-round pick. That’s a workable range for the Packers, who are projected to have two third-round picks and two fourth-round picks, including their own selections and extra picks from the Rashan Gary trade to Dallas. In other words, they have the draft capital to make a move without emptying the cupboard.
And the need is obvious. Even with former All-Star Josh Jacobs back in the mix, the Packers still haven’t gotten much going on the ground.
Through eight weeks, they’ve managed just 485 rushing yards, the fewest in the NFL. That number looks even worse when you consider that more than a dozen teams with fewer games have already topped it.
In their latest win over the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay totaled only 66 rushing yards and averaged about 2.5 yards per carry, with an 18-yard run from wide receiver Savion Williams doing a lot of the lifting. Jacobs finished with 39 yards on 21 carries.
Pollard also brings something the Packers could use beyond production: reliability. There’s no baggage attached to his name.
He’s viewed as a hard worker and a team-first player, and he’s taken on a leadership role for a rebuilding Titans team. A move to Green Bay would drop him into a much more immediate role on a team with real expectations and a need for a spark in the second half of the season.
He’s not the same kind of headline-grabbing addition as Taylor, but Green Bay may not need that. Pollard can run it traditionally, he can work as a pass-catching option, and his career 76% catch rate shows the kind of versatility that fits a backfield in flux.
The Packers could use him to form a committee with Jacobs or simply hand him a bigger share of the load. Either way, the move would address a problem that’s been impossible to ignore. If Green Bay is going to spend draft capital, Pollard looks like the best available way to do it.
In Other News...
Packers Under Fire Over Christian Watson Injury Decision
Christian Watsons return to the field Sunday has become one of the more uncomfortable storylines around the Packers, not because of what he did once he was back, but because of how quickly the situation escalated in the first place. The wide receiver was taken to the hospital during the game after a frightening injury episode, and the fact that he was back on the sideline and then back in uniform less than an hour later has put Green Bays medical decision-making under a harsh spotlight.
The scrutiny has only grown because the optics are so hard to ignore, especially for a team already dealing with the kind of questions that can linger long after the final whistle. The Packers say Watson was cleared after medical evaluation, but the episode has still drawn comparisons to other recent NFL health controversies, and it leaves Green Bay with an uneasy conversation about risk, caution and where the line should be when a player wants back in the game. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Right Guard Debate Just Got More Complicated After LaFleurs Defense
The Packers decision at right guard in Week 8 raised a few eyebrows, but Matt LaFleur spent Monday defending both the choice and Laken Tomlinsons performance. With Kevin Zeitler available, Green Bay still went with Tomlinson, and LaFleur pointed to the veterans work in pass protection as a reason the move made sense even if the overall run game never really got going.
What makes the situation more interesting now is that LaFleur stopped short of saying the job is settled for Week 9. He made it clear the Packers need better collective play on the ground, which leaves the right guard spot very much in play and adds another layer to a position battle that already had more questions than answers. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Run Game Frustration Just Hit A Tough Financial Wall
Green Bays frustration with its running game has reached the point where the obvious fix is also the hardest one to pull off. Josh Jacobs has not solved the problem the way the Packers hoped, but his contract makes the situation sticky, and the front office is boxed in as the trade deadline approaches. Even with the chatter around a possible upgrade, the financial reality is forcing the team to think more carefully about where it can actually make a meaningful change.
Jonathan Taylor has been floated as the kind of back who could change the conversation, but the Packers are not operating with much room to maneuver. Jacobs legal baggage has only added another layer of complexity, and for now the more realistic path may be to look inward and find help for the offensive line instead of chasing a new runner. It is a reminder that in the NFL, fixing a weakness is often easier said than paid for. [Read more 🡒]