The Packers’ backfield has become a problem fast, and Matt LaFleur has already let the room know his patience is thinning.
After two Green Bay running backs coughed up the ball in a four-play stretch near the Tampa Bay goal line on Sunday, LaFleur made the message plain: “If guys don’t start holding onto the ball, they’re going to be sitting on the bench.”
That kind of warning usually tells you everything you need to know about where a depth chart stands. For a 2-2 team, it also points straight at the offense’s biggest weakness.
CBS Sports sees a possible answer on the trade market, and it comes out of Nashville. In its list of deadline candidates, Green Bay was named as a landing spot for Tennessee Titans backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, both of whom are on expiring contracts with a 0-4 team. The report even raised the idea of the Packers “double-dip in the RB trade market” after adding Kaleb Johnson from Pittsburgh in August.
How aggressive Green Bay can be depends on Josh Jacobs.
Jacobs was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List by the NFL on Aug. 30 after being charged with two misdemeanors tied to a May incident, and he has not practiced or played since. He entered a no contest plea on Sept. 10, but the league still has not ruled on his status under the personal conduct policy. Brian Gutekunst said on Sept. 1 that whether Jacobs plays this season is “to be seen” and added that “we’re going to let this process play out, and we’ll be prepared either way.”
So far, that preparation has not looked pretty. Green Bay is last in the NFL in rushing attempts and rushing yards, and the team has yet to score a rushing touchdown. MarShawn Lloyd is averaging 2.7 yards per carry, Lloyd and Johnson have each fumbled twice, and Chris Brooks did not practice Thursday because of an ankle injury.
If the Packers are shopping for stability, Pollard is the bigger swing. He has gone over 1,000 rushing yards in each of the last four seasons, and PFF has him at a 73.6 rushing grade, 11th among running backs. At the deadline, about $3.4 million of his $6.74 million base salary would still be on the books, while Green Bay has roughly $9 million in cap space.
Spears would cost less, with a $3.67 million salary, but he has also missed nine games over the last two seasons.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has said Pollard “might be the first call” for a team that needs running back help. With the Bears coming to Lambeau Field on Sunday, another sloppy afternoon with the football would only sharpen the urgency.
In Other News...
Titans Trade Talk Is Getting Real After This Brutal Start
A winless start has pushed the Titans into a familiar early-season conversation: whether to keep leaning on veterans or start thinking about the next move. Around the league, Tennessee is being viewed as a team that could listen on running back Tony Pollard and wide receiver Calvin Ridley, two players whose names naturally come up when clubs begin sorting out the trade market in October. Pollards contract status only adds to the intrigue, while Ridley remains a potential fit for teams looking to add receiving help.
At the same time, not every veteran is automatically in play. Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II is expected to stay put because of how he has played and how important he has become to the defense. For a Titans team trying to steady itself after such a rough opening stretch, the bigger question is whether this becomes a reset around the edges or the start of a broader selloff. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Rookies Are Sending An Early Rebuild Message
The Titans rookie class is already drawing league-wide attention, with four first-year players landing on The Athletics All-Rookie team. Carnell Tate led the way as a first-team selection, while linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and Fernando Carmona earned second-team spots, a strong early sign that Tennessees rebuild may already have more depth than expected.
Keldric Faulk also received honorable mention, adding to the sense that this group is giving the Titans a legitimate young core to build around. Carmonas placement came despite an early injury, and the bigger takeaway for Tennessee is that the development of these rookies could quickly become one of the most important storylines in the franchises next phase. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Face A Week 5 Turning Point Against A Desperate Texans Team
The Titans head into Week 5 carrying the same uneasy record as the Texans, and it gives this AFC South matchup a different kind of weight than the calendar usually does in early October. Tennessee has a chance to reset the conversation around rookie quarterback Cam Ward, while Houston is trying to stop the slide before the season starts to feel like a salvage job.
Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans bring two defensive-minded coaches into a game where both teams have struggled on that side of the ball, which only raises the pressure on whichever group cleans up mistakes first. With both clubs sitting at 0-4, the margin for error feels thin, and turnovers may end up shaping whether this becomes a much-needed turning point or just another frustrating Sunday for a team still looking for its first win. [Read more 🡒]