The Tennessee Titans are headed toward another sell-off, and Tony Pollard looks like one of the clearest names to watch before the trade deadline.
Tennessee is 0-4 for the second straight season, and with GM Mike Borgonzi in the middle of rebuilding a young roster, the Titans are expected to be sellers. Pollard, a veteran running back on an expiring contract, fits that profile perfectly.
He’s on pace for 939 rushing yards, and if he nudges his production up a bit, he could be in line for his fifth straight 1,000-yard season. That kind of production should bring interest, and Tennessee should be looking to turn it into a draft pick.
His name is already out there in trade chatter, and moving him would also open the door for the Titans to take a longer look at rookie Nicholas Singleton. With the NFL trade deadline about a month away on Nov. 10, three teams stand out as logical landing spots.
The Green Bay Packers are one of them, and the fit is obvious. Josh Jacobs is out because of a suspension tied to an alleged off-field situation, and Green Bay’s ground game has cratered without him.
The Packers are averaging a league-worst 58.0 rushing yards per game, more than 15 yards fewer than the next-worst rushing attack. MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson haven’t come close to replacing Jacobs, and with Green Bay sitting at 2-2 in a crowded NFC North, Pollard could give Jordan Love and the offense the boost they need.
Seattle is another team that makes sense. The Seahawks have shuffled through options at running back all season, and the situation has been messy.
Rookie Jadarian Price, the 32nd overall pick, is on injured reserve after losing two fumbles in back-to-back games. Zach Charbonnet is working back from last year’s torn ACL, but there’s no guarantee he’ll have his old burst.
John Schneider also tried to bring in Joe Mixon, but Mixon failed a physical. And with Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III having left in free agency, the backfield has become a real problem.
Pollard could help steady it.
Then there’s Pittsburgh, where the urgency is tied to Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers are 2-2 and trying to win now because Rodgers is in what is expected to be his final season before retirement.
Their run game is only 22nd in the league, and that isn’t enough support for Rodgers. Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle make the backfield a little crowded, but Pollard still looks like a strong fit in Mike McCarthy’s scheme.
With the AFC North competitive and postseason hopes front and center, Omar Khan may need to be aggressive.
In Other News...
Titans Suddenly Have A New Concern In Their Passing Game
The Titans passing game picked up a new wrinkle this week when Carnell Tate landed on the injury report with a back issue ahead of Sundays game against the Houston Texans. Tate had been a full participant on Wednesday before being limited on Thursday, a shift that stands out on a roster already dealing with multiple players showing up on the report with assorted injuries.
For Tennessee, the timing matters because Tate has become a meaningful part of the offense as the team tries to keep its attack steady against Houston. The Titans have been monitoring several health questions this week, and Tates status now adds another layer of uncertainty to a passing game that could use as much stability as it can get heading into a divisional matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Carnell Tate Could Put Texans In A Tough Spot Again
Carnell Tates Week 4 breakout gave the Titans another layer to work with, and it came at the right time. The rookie wideout caught nine passes for 145 yards, flashing the kind of versatility that can make an offense harder to pin down when a defense starts keying on where a receiver lines up. Tennessee has already shown a willingness to move Tate around, using him on the boundary and also inside, which has helped expand how the passing game can attack different coverage looks.
That flexibility could matter again soon against Houston, where the Titans are likely to keep searching for favorable matchups by shifting Tate pre-snap and changing his alignment from play to play. If Tennessee can keep defenses guessing about where he will show up, it can force the Texans to sort through more decisions than they may want to make, especially after Tates emergence has given the Titans a young weapon worth building around. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Secondary Suddenly Has A Big Problem Before Texans Game
The Titans secondary took a hit heading into Sundays matchup with the Texans, with Amani Hooker unavailable after not clearing concussion protocol. Hooker has been a key part of Tennessees back end, so his absence changes the look of a group that already had to keep one eye on Houstons passing game this week.
Tony Adams is expected to step into Hookers role, while Isaiah Oliver is likely to be elevated from the practice squad to give the Titans more depth at safety. Cornerback Joshua Williams also returned to practice after being designated to come back from injured reserve, though his game status remains unsettled as Tennessee sorts through its defensive options. [Read more 🡒]