The Football Transfer Deadline is down to hours, and the chatter has narrowed to three names: Jonathan Taylor, Brian Thomas Jr. and Tony Pollard. By Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, one or more of them could be on the move, but the noise around each player is coming from different places and for different reasons.
That is why readers are searching now. Taylor is the biggest running back name in the mix, Thomas is a young receiver who has already become a deadline talking point, and Pollard is the veteran back whose market could move if another team misses on Taylor. The deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, which means every rumor has to turn into a real call, a real offer or nothing at all within hours.
Raanan said it would be a surprise at this point if Taylor is traded to the Giants, even though the Giants are 5-2-1 and still in the thick of the season. That makes the fit more complicated than the record suggests, because a strong start does not automatically mean the price or timing works. Taylor is also being projected to the Minnesota Vikings, which keeps his market open even if New York is not the likely landing spot.
Thomas is in a different spot. He went without a target in Week 9, and Schefter reported that Jacksonville has resisted trade overtures for him so far but sounds like it is going to listen before Tuesday. The Jaguars already made one aggressive move by landing Jessie Bates III from the Atlanta Falcons, yet that has not shut the door on a separate conversation about a first-round receiver who arrived in 2024. He remains linked to the Washington Commanders in projection circles, but the hard fact is that Jacksonville is at least willing to hear what is out there.
Pollard may be the clearest read of the three because the market around him has a price. Breer said the Titans have listened on Pollard, and that teams seeking running back help but unwilling to pay the freight for Taylor have shown interest. He added that it would take at least a fourth-round pick to pry Pollard away from Tennessee. The numbers help explain why he is in the conversation: he is on pace for 1,000 scrimmage yards for the sixth consecutive season, has averaged 4.5 yards per carry this year and owns a 4.6-yard career average. He is also projected to the Giants, who need backfield help with Jaxson Dart out for the season.
The deadline now comes down to whether teams are willing to meet those prices before Tuesday afternoon. Taylor could stay put if the offers do not match the market, Thomas could remain in Jacksonville if the Jaguars decide the listening is enough, and Pollard could be the one whose value is easiest to quantify. What happens before 4 p.m. ET will tell the real story.
