Through four games in the 2026 NFL Season, the Denver Broncos have the fourth-worst running game in the NFL. They're averaging just 81.3 yards per game through the first month of the season. Not only is the run game regressing big-time from last year, but the passing game also can't get going.
Essentially, opposing defenses are daring the Broncos to run and playing to take away anything from the passing game, as they know Denver simply cannot run the ball. It's created a situation where the offense just can't consistently move the ball.
The Broncos do have the horses on offense to create some consistency throwing the ball, but we might be approaching a point where the running back room already is needing an addition via trade, and Tony Pollard could help things out.
The Denver Broncos should get on the phone and bring Tony Pollard in via trade
Just the other day, Adam Schefter indicated that Pollard could be on the move, as he's in the final year of his deal and is obviously on a losing team in Tennessee:
After two trades last week, here are more names to monitor ahead of next month’s #NFL trade deadline. pic.twitter.com/i9XdEC0oPQ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 4, 2026
Pollard, 29, is in his eighth year in the NFL and third with the Titans. Through four games, he's racked up 221 yards on a solid 4.1 yards per carry. He has also spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and has hit the 1,000-yard rushing mark four years in a row.
Pollard is an extremely consistent player overall. He has a high floor as a runner - in the 2022-2025 seasons, Pollard ran for 4,173 yards and 25 touchdowns on 4.4 yards per carry, which averages out to 1,075 yards across a 17-game season. He has also been able to add a little bit as a receiver, too.
His scrimmage yardage totals since the 2022 season look like this: 1,378, 1,316, 1,317, 1,288. He's a modest but productive player at a position that has still plagued Denver in the Sean Payton era. Through four games, Denver has 90 total rushing attempts for just 325 yards, which is a measly 3.6 yards per carry.
The lead back, J.K. Dobbins, has just 161 yards in four games. His 3.5 yards per carry is a far cry from his 5.0 yards per carry in his first year with the Broncos last year. Now yes, Jonah Coleman is on IR, so there is reason to believe that the unit as a whole could look better when he returns, but I also don't see any harm in bringing Pollard in.
The Broncos clearly need more consistency from this group, as Dobbins honestly looks significantly worse this year than most other years of his career. You don't want to believe that he's approaching 'washed up' status, but he hasn't proved that he isn't through the first month.
The trade deadline is still four weeks away, and the Broncos are still in the middle of their tough stretch to open up the season, but as of now, the running back position is a rather major problem.
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