6 intriguing running backs the Vikings could trade for before the deadline

Earlier this week, Bring Me The Sports senior Vikings writer Will Ragatz said the Vikings could look to beef up the roster by trading for a running back, left guard, tight end, or safety. If they do seriously consider acquiring a running back, what are their options?

From the jump, I don’t think they’ll trade for a running back unless they lose Aaron Jones Sr. or Jordan Mason to an injury. They survived four weeks without Mason, who is expected to return from a fractured thumb in Week 7 against the Colts. That gives Minnesota the Jones-Mason backfield they thought could be dynamic, and likely scratches any itch they might’ve had to trade for a running back.

If it changes before the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline, these names, who mostly play for teams that could be sellers, are intriguing.

Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

Pollard, 29, has quietly produced four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons. This season, playing for a horrible Titans team, Pollard has 63 carries for 278 yards and one touchdown. He’s in the last year of his contract and will be a free agent in the spring. He could probably be had for minimal draft capital.

• Pollard 2024-25: 1,082 yards, 5 TD, 4.5 yards per carry

• Pollard 2023-24: 1,079 yards, 5 TD, 4.2 yards per carry

• Pollard 2022-23: 1,005 yards, 6 TD, 4.0 yards per carry

• Pollard 2021-22: 1,007 yards, 9 TD, 5.2 yards per carry

Rachaad White, Washington Commanders

White, 27, is signed to a one-year, $2 million contract with Washington. A shoulder injury sidelined him in Week 4, and he’s totaled just 28 carries for 118 yards in four games. This is the same guy who started 48 of 67 games in four years with Tampa Bay, where he racked up 2,656 yards and 14 touchdowns.

He only averaged 3.9 yards per carry over those four years, but he also had 205 receptions for 1,450 yards and 11 touchdowns. If Jones were go down with an injury, White could be an affordable replacement as a runner and receiver out of the backfield.

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

If Minnesota traded for Kamara, they’d only owe him the remaining portion of his one-year, $6 million contract. The Saints may not be interested in trading him because they’d have to absorb a ton of dead cap hits that trace back to the Saints’ restructuring of his contract. Another hurdle with Kamara is his October 2025 comment in which he said he’d rather retire and drink piña coladas on a beach than play for another team.

Kamara also might be washed. He has just 86 yards on 28 carries this season, although it’s hard to say for sure because nobody on the Saints has run the ball well since Travis Etienne was injured in Week 1.

Kenneth Gainwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The 27-year-old is in the first year of a two-year, $14 million contract. But he’s carried the ball just 17 times for 44 yards in five games, serving primarily as a receiving threat (11 catches for 54 yards and a touchdown).

Gainwell was a go-to option for Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh last season, racking up 73 catches for 486 yards and three touchdowns, while running the ball 114 times for 537 yards and five scores.

Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals

The 26-year-old is on a two-year, $12.25 million deal. He’s not much of a receiving threat, so he might make more sense in Minnesota if Mason is out of action. His first season in Arizona hasn’t gone well, with just 35 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown. His 3.4 yards per carry is actually only a slight drop from the 3.6 yards he averaged last season in Atlanta. Allgeier was best season was as a rookie in 2022, when he averaged 4.9 yards per carry and totaled 1,305 yards.

Saquan Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

Philly probably isn’t going to fade in the playoff race, which makes Barkley a very unlikely name to be shopped before the trade deadline. However, if he does become available, he’d be the best RB on the market. The problem is that his contract runs through 2028, with annual cap hits between $13 million and $17 million. He also had void years in 2029 and 2030 with cap hits of $13.8 million and $18.8 million, respectively.

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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Oct 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Vikings section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.