The Kansas City Chiefs have three more games before their bye week, which will be the same week as the NFL trade deadline. After climbing up to .500 following the Lions win, the Chiefs are feeling good about their chances of making another Super Bowl run. That should increase their chances of being buyers at the Nov. 4 deadline.
One thing Chiefs fans desperately want the front office to address is the running back rotation. The three running backs with rushing attempts for the Chiefs so far (Kareem Hunt, Isiah Pacheco, and Brashard Smith) are combining to average less than 4.0 yards per carry. Pacheco has been particularly underwhelming, only averaging 1.6 yards after contact per rush and receiving an overall 56.4 offensive grade on Pro Football Focus. Hunt has been more effective, but is averaging 3.8 yards per carry and has zero broken tackles in six games per Pro-Football-Reference.
Names like Alvin Kamara and Breece Hall have been floated as targets for the Chiefs, but splashy deals like that aren't as common as fans would like them to be. A new name has suddenly emerged that could be much more realistic, however.
Tony Pollard Could Be Ideal Trade Target for the Chiefs
Understandably, the Chiefs would be wise to look for upgrades at the deadline. One possible way to do so could be by looking at the bottom of the AFC for help. After a 1-5 start, the Tennessee Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan. This could augur a rebuild, meaning that veterans with any trade value could be out the door between now and the deadline.
Tony Pollard then becomes an interesting potential trade target. The former Cowboys RB is coming off three consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons, and is currently on pace for a fourth straight despite playing on arguably the worst offense in the league. The Titans have the second-fewest points and the fewest total yards through six weeks, but the 28-year-old rusher has been doing his best behind a weak run blocking group.
During his time in Dallas, Pollard was a very productive back, having multiple seasons with over five yards per carry and being heavily involved in the passing game. This earned him Pro Bowl honors back in 2022. He is no longer at that level as a player, but he still has more juice left than Hunt and Pacheco.
He may not be the most blockbuster name out there that will change the fate of the Chiefs, but he would be an upgrade in the RB room that the team needs. It also shouldn't cost much to bring him in when factoring in his contract.
Pollard carries the seventh-highest cap hit among all running backs this year, and that number remains top-10 in 2026. For a 28-year-old running back, those numbers will turn off a lot of teams. That means even the recent NFL running back trade prices (Tank Bigsby for a 5th-round and 6th-round pick, Brian Robinson for a 6th-round pick) are much higher than Pollard should command. At the very least, it wouldn't hurt if Brett Veach called and asked about the price.