The Seattle Seahawks have a backfield problem, and it isn’t the kind that gets solved by hoping the room gets healthier overnight. They need a veteran runner who can hold things together while the injuries stack up, and Tennessee Titans back Tony Pollard fits that need better than most available options.
The catch is obvious: Tennessee may not want to move him. The Titans are 0-5, Pollard is playing on an expiring contract, and he checks the usual boxes for a trade candidate.
But Mike Borgonzi has reportedly turned away teams that have already called, and it would apparently take a “ridiculous offer” to get him to budge. Seattle can’t come in swinging wildly, but it also shouldn’t treat this like a bargain-bin pickup.
The sweet spot is a 2027 fifth-round pick.
That’s the cleanest proposal for both sides. Tennessee would get draft capital for a player it may not keep beyond this season, while Seattle would avoid burning a premium pick on what would amount to a short-term fix. This is only a proposed package, not a reported negotiation or an established asking price.
Pollard’s contract makes that kind of offer feel sensible. He’s in the last year of a three-year, $21.75 million deal, with a $6.74 million base salary and a $9.25 million cap hit. The Titans could also cut him next offseason and free up $7.25 million, which lowers the ceiling on what they can realistically expect in return.
That doesn’t mean a fifth-rounder automatically gets the deal done. Tennessee can stand pat and let the season play out. But Seattle needs to at least make the call and resist the urge to outbid itself by jumping to a fourth-rounder.
The urgency comes from the state of the Seahawks’ backfield. Kenneth Walker III left for Kansas City in free agency, rookie first-round pick Jadarian Price is on injured reserve, and Zach Charbonnet is still working back from his torn ACL.
Charbonnet missed Week 6, though he has a “legitimate chance” to play in Week 7. Price, meanwhile, cannot return before Week 8.
So Emanuel Wilson is the starter right now, and that’s not a spot Seattle wants to live in for long. The Seahawks are averaging only 3.4 yards per attempt, and Pollard would give Mike Macdonald’s team a more reliable answer while the room gets healthier.
Pollard’s 2025 line isn’t eye-popping: 68 carries, 273 yards, a 4.0 average and one touchdown. But he rushed for 1,082 yards last year, and Seattle does not need a headline-grabbing star as much as it needs steadier production. His ability to do more than one thing also gives the Seahawks some flexibility if Charbonnet’s return has to be handled carefully.
From Tennessee’s side, a fifth-round pick is at least something for a player who might not be around in the future. With the Titans winless and Pollard’s contract ticking down, that kind of return makes sense for a veteran on an expiring deal.
Even so, the Titans are under no obligation to move him. They can easily decide he’s worth more to them as a veteran presence than as a late-round selection. That’s why Seattle’s pitch has to be direct and fair, not desperate.
For the Seahawks, the appeal is simple: they get help now without taking on future baggage. Pollard’s deal expires after the season, so there’s no lingering commitment to worry about.
If Charbonnet and Price come back healthy, Pollard can slide into a depth role. If they don’t, he’s already there.
A fifth-round pick strikes the balance. Seattle should make the call, put the offer on the table and leave the overpaying to somebody else.
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