The Seattle Seahawks’ backfield has gone from a strength to a problem in a hurry, and CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin thinks Tony Pollard could be the fix.
Seattle ran the ball well in 2025 behind Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. Walker finished with 1,027 yards, while Charbonnet added 730 and led the team with 12 rushing touchdowns.
Walker chipped in five scores of his own. But the postseason changed everything.
Charbonnet went down with a torn ACL, Walker turned into a massive star, and he was eventually named Super Bowl MVP before departing in free agency.
Now the Seahawks are trying to piece things together without either of those two. Charbonnet still hasn’t returned from injury, and rookie first-round pick Jadarian Price was also lost to injury. That has left Emanuel Wilson and George Holani carrying the load, and it has not gone smoothly.
Dubin pointed to Pollard as a possible answer for Seattle, especially if Price is sidelined for a long stretch. He acknowledged Pollard is not the same explosive player he once was, but he sees a back who still does the basics well and can give the Seahawks more than they’re getting now.
"The Seahawks cannot run the ball at all, as we have seen throughout this season and that was on full display on Thursday night against the Broncos. Pollard is no great shakes, but he's got 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons and is at least a professional runner who can get what's blocked and a bit more," Dubin wrote.
Dubin also noted that Charbonnet should be back soon, but the timetable on Price remains unclear. In his view, Pollard would be an upgrade over Emanuel Wilson and/or George Holani as a complement to Charbs. He added, "It's not the sexiest deal in the world and might not even be the best possible use of resources, but the Seahawks do need help in the backfield."
Pollard is in the final year of the three-year, $21.75 million contract he signed in 2024. He ran for 1,000 yards in each of his final two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and then did it again in each of his first two seasons with the Titans. Through five games this year, he has 273 yards and a touchdown, though he is averaging 4.0 yards per carry.
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