The NFL news cycle is starting to pick up with training camps set to open in the next two weeks with a little bit of offseason business still to take care of. One interesting piece of news emerged from New Orleans, where the Saints agreed to terms on a contract extension with running back Alvin Kamara.
There had been plenty of buzz that Kamara could be traded after the Saints signed Travis Etienne in the offseason to be their new No. 1 back. Etienne will now work in tandem with Kamara for New Orleans, which is good news for a potential Tyler Shough breakout but bad news for teams looking to add backfield help.
There may not be many running back trades in training camp, but there are a handful of backs who could find new homes at some point this season. Let's take a look at five running backs who have a good shot to get dealt before the end of the regular season.
James Conner/Trey Benson – Arizona Cardinals
We'll loop the Cardinals runners together here since this situation appears to be the most lopsided entering camp. Both existing backs are coming off of injuries and Arizona made big adds at the position in the offseason, signing Tyler Allgeier in free agency before drafting Jeremiyah Love with the third pick in the draft.
Love is the future for the Cardinals but all of Allgeier, Benson and Conner are worthy of NFL roles at this point in their careers. A four-man committee seems like it would be too complicated to maneuver, so don't be shocked if one of Benson or Conner gets dealt in training camp with another shipped out prior to the trade deadline.
Jonathan Taylor – Indianapolis Colts
The most prominent upcoming free agent running back is Taylor, who is firmly in his prime entering his age 27 season. Taylor's contract is up at the end of the year and things could be perilous for Indianapolis, which is coming off a devastating collapse to end the 2025 season and have quarterback Daniel Jones coming back off of a torn Achilles' tendon.
The Colts have a brutal early schedule, which could put them into a significant hole ahead of the trade deadline in a surprisingly competitive AFC South. There is enough cap space to extend Taylor, which is certainly a plausible outcome here, but the Colts would have to listen if they can recoup a first-round pick in a midseason deal since they don't have their own after sending it to the Jets in the Sauce Gardner trade.
Aaron Jones – Minnesota Vikings
Injuries were an issue for Jones in 2025, who appeared in just 12 games for the Vikings and ran for just 532 yards. History is not on the side of Jones, who turns 32 in December and is more likely to decline than find the fountain of youth.
Minnesota has a younger runner ready to take on a bigger role in former 49er Jordan Mason, which could make Jones expendable at the trade deadline. If the Vikings aren't in playoff contention at that point they could look to recoup a mid-round pick for Jones, who can offer veteran support to a team dealing with backfield issues.
Tony Pollard – Tennessee Titans
The Titans are still building up around Cam Ward, who has a new offensive coordinator in Brian Daboll and a new top target in Carnell Tate. The running game should also remain a committee approach for Tennessee, which split the work between Pollard and Tyjae Spears in 2025.
Pollard is a steady veteran who is set to hit free agency after the season, which could make him a candidate to get dealt in-season to help Tennessee add more draft capital to their war chest. New head coach Robert Saleh may want to use time this season to see if Spears and fifth-round pick Nicholas Singleton can form a serviceable committee for the Titans, which would be hard to do if they are still giving Pollard carries in November and December.
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