As the NFL moves toward the Nov. 10 trade deadline, two veterans already sit near the center of the conversation: Titans running back Tony Pollard and Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter identified both as possible midseason trade pieces, pointing to the kind of profile that often gets attention this time of year - productive veterans on expiring deals, attached to teams that may decide to lean into draft capital if the season starts slipping away. Tennessee and Los Angeles are both 0-3, which leaves plenty of room for those fronts to change if the wins don’t start coming.
The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones said it’s still early for anything concrete, but after checking around, he found several more names that teams are monitoring. His list included Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith, Commanders DT Daron Payne, Colts DT Grover Stewart, Giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Browns WR Jerry Jeudy and Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.
Other players who have surfaced in trade chatter recently include Jets OLB Will McDonald IV and Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and OLB Josh Sweat, though Arizona has not shown much appetite for moving either player at this point.
Pollard, 29, entered the league as a fourth-round pick by the Cowboys out of Memphis in the 2019 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year, $3,187,780 rookie contract with Dallas that included a $667,780 signing bonus, $667,780 guaranteed and an average annual salary of $796,945.
He was headed toward unrestricted free agency when the Cowboys used the franchise tag on him at $10.09 million guaranteed. Pollard then left for Tennessee on a three-year, $24 million deal the following offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
Now in the final year of that contract, Pollard is due $7.25 million in 2026. Through three games with the Titans, he has carried the ball 38 times for 173 yards, a 4.6 yards-per-carry clip, and added six catches on seven targets for 22 yards.
Mack, 35, came into the league as a first-round pick by the Raiders in 2014 out of Buffalo. He played out the final season of his four-year, $18,677,002 rookie deal, and Las Vegas picked up his fifth-year option before eventually moving him.
The Raiders traded Mack to the Bears in a deal that brought back two first-round picks. He then signed a six-year, $141 million extension with Chicago, including $90 million guaranteed.
Chicago later traded Mack to the Chargers in 2022 for draft compensation after four seasons with the Bears. Once that contract was completed, Mack returned to Los Angeles on a one-year, $18 million deal for the 2025 season.
This year, he has played in three games for the Chargers and has eight total tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.
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