The Minnesota Vikings have struggled mightily to move the ball over the first month of the 2026 NFL season.
Only the 0-4 Tennessee Titans have fewer yards than Minnesota thus far, and they haven’t really done anything well on offense. Luckily, their defense has more than held their own, and the team is 4-0 as a result.
With the dichotomy between the offensive and defensive performances (and their pristine record), some believe they might be buyers at the trade deadline. Pro Football Focus writer Bradley Locker named the Vikings as a team to keep an eye on for Titans running back Tony Pollard.
“After an offseason filled with questions about his role — let alone if he’d remain a Titan — Pollard has started the 2026 campaign in effective fashion,” Locker wrote. “His 73.6 PFF rushing grade ranks 11th out of 30 running backs with at least 44 carries. While Pollard is more below-average in gaining yards after contact or breaking off long runs, he has secured 10 first downs and is yet to fumble. The Titans look like one of few surefire sellers, and Pollard could finally be on the move in the final year of his contract.”
Tony Pollard Would Immediately Be The Vikings’ Most Promising RB
Pollard is one of the league’s most underrated backs. He was previously lauded for his efficiency behind Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas, but joining the rebuilding Titans completely removed all the hype around his game.
While his lone Pro Bowl appearance came in his final year in Dallas during the 2022 campaign, when he had nearly 1400 yards from scrimmage and scored 12 touchdowns, he has quietly eclipsed the century mark over the past three years in Tennessee. He’s also increased his yards-per-attempt in each of those seasons.
At this stage of Pollard’s career, he’s better than Aaron Jones, who appears to have lost a step in his age-31 campaign. He’s also more dependable than Jordan Mason. If Minnesota were to acquire him, he’d shoot to the top of the depth chart in short order.
Is The Running Game The Team’s Most Glaring Issue, Though?
Minnesota has been a popular landing spot for Pollard for a few weeks now. However, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis pushed back on that noise earlier this week.
“There are obviously a bunch of 0-4 teams,” Lewis said. “Some of those teams have some running back talent. Probably the most expected running back trade candidate is Tony Pollard in Tennessee. I’ve watched a little bit of the tape. He doesn’t have a ton of explosive runs.”
It’s also fair to question just how much of a ceiling raiser Pollard would be for Minnesota. They’re only going to be without Mason for two more weeks, and he and Jones should be a solid enough duo to hold their own. Sure, they don’t have much depth behind them, but they won’t really need it for as long as they both stay healthy.
The rushing attack has not been nearly as glaring a weakness as their passing game. While there are obviously very few options to improve the quarterback position via the trade market, they would be better off pursuing that department if they want to fix their offensive woes. It’s painfully obvious that Kyler Murray has held the offense back thus far.
The trade speculation makes sense considering where the team sits in the standings, but I personally think the noise is focused on the wrong position.
Vikings Believed To Be A Suitor For Pro Bowl Running Back