The Green Bay Packers don’t need a splashy fix at running back so much as they need someone who can steady the whole thing. With the offensive line starting to show a little life, the clearest problem at the 2026 NFL Trade Deadline is the backfield, and Tony Pollard of the Tennessee Titans has emerged as the practical answer.
Pollard may not carry the same headline weight as Jonathan Taylor, but he gives Green Bay something it badly needs: dependable production. The 29-year-old former Pro Bowler is in his eighth season and is chasing a fifth consecutive year with 1,250-plus scrimmage yards. He has never averaged fewer than four yards per carry in his career, and this season he’s putting up 4.5 yards per touch on a 1-7 Titans team.
That consistency is part of why Green Bay has checked in on him. Easton Butler reports the Packers have called Tennessee about Pollard’s availability, and the price is believed to be a third- or fourth-round pick. That’s a workable ask for Green Bay, which is projected to have two third-round selections and two fourth-round picks, including one acquired in the Rashan Gary deal with Dallas.
The urgency makes sense when you look at what the Packers have gotten on the ground. Even with former All-Star Josh Jacobs back in the mix, Green Bay still has the fewest rushing yards in the NFL through eight weeks with 485.
That number looks even worse when stacked against teams that have played fewer games and still cleared that mark. In the win over Carolina, the Packers managed only 66 rushing yards and averaged about 2.5 yards per carry, with Savion Williams’ 18-yard run doing a lot of the heavy lifting.
Jacobs finished with 39 yards on 21 carries.
Pollard fits because he brings more than just yards. He’s viewed as a professional, a hard worker, and a team-first player who has taken on a leadership role for a Titans team in the middle of a rebuild. A move to Green Bay would put him right into a bigger role for a team with real ambitions and a backfield that needs help fast.
He also offers versatility. Pollard can handle traditional carries, but he’s just as comfortable as a receiver out of the backfield, and he owns a 76% career catch rate. That kind of flexibility gives the Packers options, whether they want to push Jacobs into more of a committee or simply hand the job to a veteran who can stabilize the position.
If Green Bay is going to spend draft capital, this is the kind of move that makes sense. Pollard may not be the flashy swing, but he looks like the best available fit for a team trying to clean up a glaring problem before the deadline passes.
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