NFL trade candidates: Top running backs who could be dealt before deadline Jacob Camenker, USA TODAY October 22, 2025 at 11:51 PM 0 The most seismic trade of the 2025 NFL calendar occurred one week before the season began when the Dallas Cowboys traded edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Pack...
- - NFL trade candidates: Top running backs who could be dealt before deadline
Jacob Camenker, USA TODAY October 22, 2025 at 11:51 PM
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The most seismic trade of the 2025 NFL calendar occurred one week before the season began when the Dallas Cowboys traded edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers.
There doesn't figure to be another trade close to that magnitude ahead of the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline, but contenders could explore minor deals to improve their postseason outlooks.
One area several contenders could look to address is the running back position. A handful of top-tier teams and playoff hopefuls are using a committee approach at the position and could stand to add depth and talent to their units.
makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
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Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
">Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
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1 / 4Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
There is always an excess of talent on the running back market, so it should be easy enough for the RB-needy teams to find potential fits via trade.
Below is a look at the top running backs who could be mentioned in trade rumors as the 2025 NFL trade deadline draws nearer.
NFL trade candidates 2025: Running backsBreece Hall, New York Jets
The Jets have been adamant they don't want to move Hall, but it could be in their best interest to do so.
Hall, 24, is set to be a free agent after the season. The 0-7 Jets don't look like they're en route to being a playoff contender any time soon, so it may be unwise to give a running back – often viewed as the final piece for a contending squad – a big-money contract.
Trading Hall would give the Jets draft capital, allowing them to continue their rebuild. Plenty of NFL teams should be interested in him, as he has averaged 4.6 yards per carry during his career and is on pace for 1,486 scrimmage yards this season.
BREECE HALL TRADE RUMORS: Where could Jets RB end up if dealt?
Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers
Dowdle is another free-agent-to-be whose strong performance in relief of Chuba Hubbard could get him some love on the trade market. Like Seattle, Carolina may prefer to keep Dowdle as long as the team remains in playoff contention, but the Panthers could also try to sell high on him, knowing they have Hubbard under contract long-term.
Dowdle, 27, has racked up 551 yards and two touchdowns on 98 carries through seven games. The veteran is powerfully built at 5-11, 215 pounds, while his strong contact balance makes him a good fit for any offense.
Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
Pollard is among the most likely veterans to be traded. The Titans are sitting at 1-6, fired coach Brian Callahan and will be looking to rebuild their offense quickly around Cam Ward. Pollard, 28, could be a part of those plans, but Tennessee may be more interested in seeing how 24-year-old Tyjae Spears can fare as the team's lead back.
Pollard has racked up 380 yards and two touchdowns on 98 carries despite playing behind a shaky offensive line in Tennessee. Moving to a team with a better line could spark the veteran.
Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
Are the Ravens likely to trade Henry? They just signed him to a two-year, $30 million extension during the offseason, so Baltimore may be willing to hold onto the 31-year-old, knowing the team could return to contention in 2026 after an injury-riddled start to the 2025 campaign.
Still, Henry has handled 2,622 career touches and counting, so the Ravens could see this as an opportunity to move on from a player who could show his age at any point. Henry has averaged 5 yards per carry this season and would be a workhorse upgrade for many of the league's top contenders.
Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens
OK, here's a more realistic trade option for the Ravens. Mitchell has great speed but finds himself behind Henry and Justice Hill in Baltimore's backfield rotation. A team looking for more juice at running back could see an opportunity to acquire Mitchell as a cheap flier and turn him into a threatening, speed-based gadget weapon.
Mitchell has just eight yards on three carries in 2025 but has totaled 434 yards and two touchdowns on 65 carries for his career, good for a 6.7 yards per carry average.
Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns
Ford has averaged just 3.5 yards per carry this season, his lowest since his rookie campaign in 2022, and finds himself clearly behind Quinshon Judkins in Cleveland's backfield rotation. That makes the veteran backup, who will be a free agent in 2026, an ideal trade candidate for a team looking for a third-down back.
Ford has made 101 receptions since the start of the 2023 season and grades 27th among 53 qualified running backs in pass blocking, per Pro Football Focus.
Nick Chubb, Houston Texans
Chubb's status as trade bait may depend on whether Joe Mixon can return from a mysterious ankle injury that has sidelined him for the 2025 season to date. If Mixon comes back, he and Woody Marks would likely lead Houston's backfield, dropping Chubb to the role of the backup between-the-tackles runner.
Chubb has averaged 4.2 yards per carry as he further removes himself from a second major knee surgery. His 5-11, 227-pound frame will make him an intriguing goal-line bruiser for teams needing power at the running back position.
Devin Singletary, New York Giants
Cam Skattebo has been a revelation as a rookie for the Giants. Meanwhile, the elusive Tyrone Tracy Jr., now healthy, looks like a perfect companion for the bruising Arizona State product. That leaves the veteran Singletary as the odd man out of New York's rotation.
Singletary has averaged just 3.7 yards per carry across two years with the Giants but totaled 1,000-plus scrimmage yards every year from 2021-23. The 28-year-old's skills as a receiver may endear him to teams to add depth or a top backup to their running back rooms.
Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins
Wright has primarily been a healthy scratch for the Dolphins after falling behind De'Von Achane and Ollie Gordon II in Miami's running back rotation. The Dolphins have stumbled out of the gate and could consider moving on from Wright as they prepare for potential seismic shifts within the organization.
Wright was a fourth-round pick out of Tennessee in the 2024 NFL Draft and drew plenty of attention for his speed and ability to handle an SEC workload. He only averaged 3.7 yards per carry as a rookie, but perhaps a change of scenery could get the most out of the 22-year-old.
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Kamara's name has been mentioned ahead of the trade deadline, but it's unlikely the 30-year-old will be traded. It won't necessarily be for a lack of interest. It's more than Kamara has stated he wants to play his entire career in New Orleans and recently implied he would retire if traded.
The Saints also lost backup Kendre Miller to a season-ending ACL tear, so trading Kamara may not be as appealing to the rebuilding squad as it once was.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL trade candidates: Top RBs who could be dealt before deadline
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