The Denver Broncos have handed the ball to four running backs in four games, and the longest run any of them has produced went 17 yards. Denver sits 29th in rushing yards, and PFF’s Bradley Locker lists the Broncos as a possible fit for Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard among his 15 trade candidates before the Nov. 10 deadline.
Locker wrote that “Denver’s stable of running backs sits just 28th in rushing grade at the position,” and the individual marks show why. J.K. Dobbins has 46 of the backs’ 72 carries and averages 3.5 yards, down from 5.0 last season. His 53.6 rushing grade is the lowest in the room, according to PFF. RJ Harvey, a 2025 second-round pick, has a 58.2 PFF rushing grade on 12 carries and out-snapped Dobbins 29-21 in Week 4. Pollard has 221 yards on 54 carries, and his 73.6 PFF rushing grade ranks 11th of 30 backs with at least 44 carries, per Locker. He has 10 first downs and no fumbles.
Pollard’s price and Denver’s reasons to wait
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Money is the smaller obstacle. Pollard, 29, is in the final year of a three-year, $21.75 million contract with a $6.74 million base salary, according to Over the Cap, and about half of that would remain at the deadline. The Broncos have about $6.2 million in cap space, per Over the Cap. Locker called the 0-4 Titans “one of few surefire sellers,” and ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Sunday that Pollard could be dealt.
Fit is the harder part. Locker wrote that Pollard is below average at gaining yards after contact and breaking long runs. His longest carry this season is 18 yards, one more than Denver’s best.
Internal RB options still exist for Broncos
Fourth-round rookie Jonah Coleman, who scored the backs’ only rushing touchdown, is on short-term injured reserve and is eligible to return in Week 7. Dobbins is signed through 2027 on a two-year, $16 million deal, per Over the Cap. “That’s something that obviously has to get better,” head coach Sean Payton said of the run game after the loss to San Francisco, according to The Gazette.
A trade makes sense if Dobbins is still near 3.5 yards per carry when Coleman is eligible to return. Pollard would bring steadier down-to-down production. He would not bring long runs, and the Broncos have until Nov. 10 to decide what that is worth.
