The Houston Texans are less than two weeks away from the NFL trade deadline arriving. And one area of their roster that's been circled as a potential need for this team to address in the coming days is their running back spot.

However, don't expect that upgrade to come from Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Barkley is not expected to be moved anywhere in a deadline deal despite the Eagles' regular-season struggles.

For the Texans, it's a tough pill to swallow. For a team that ranks 29th in terms of total rushing yards and 29th in yards per rush on the season so far, adding a talent like Barkley into the backfield is a pretty immediate upgrade to those woes on the ground. Now, Houston is forced to pivot if they want to find better success on the ground.

However, there is still a good chunk of running back talent left up for grabs for the Texans to consider. If the front office want to make their second trade within the backfield of this calendar year following their move to land David Montgomery this offseason, they've got several guys to keep on their radar.

Let's take a look at five of the bigger names at running back who could be up for grabs in a trade this coming week that the Texans should keep in consideration.

James Conner | Arizona Cardinals

2026 Stats: N/A

He's still stuck on injured reserve right now with a lingering knee issue, but when James Conner is at his best, he can be one of the more consistent veteran runners in the league. And when factoring in the Cardinals' latest draft selection of Jeremiyah Love, a deal surrounding Conner makes even more sense as a possibility.

The biggest question mark surrounding Conner is his health. If he can be expected to play over the coming weeks, then there's no sense in any team investing a premium in his services. But he should still at least be on the radar of every running back-needy team.

Jonathan Taylor | Indianapolis Colts

2026 Stats: 140 ATT, 587 YDS, 8 TDs, 4.2 YPA

We've at least got to make room for Jonathan Taylor on this list, who's undoubtably the biggest upgrade left out on the market at the running back position. However, there are some big question marks regarding the Texans' ability to go out and acquire him.

Not only did the Texans just part ways with a 2027 second-round pick in the form of their Marvin Harrison Jr. trade to take away a good chunk of their premier draft assets, but Houston's in the same AFC South division as the Colts. That makes a superstar acquisition of Taylor a whole lot harder to imagine.

Devin Singletary | New York Giants

2026 Stats: 18 ATT, 80 YDS, 2 TDs, 4.4 YPA

One name at the running back position that could make a ton of sense for the Texans to look towards is Devin Singletary–– someone who just cashed in an overtime touchdown against Houston back in Week 7, and could be a trade candidate to consider who adds up for both Houston and the New York Giants' perspective.

For the Texans, they've already had Singletary on their roster once before, and they know from their Week 7 loss that he's got more than enough juice left in the tank to help lift Houston's run game. For the Giants, he's in a crowded Giants run game that needs to find its identity, and maybe shipping him out could make those roles a bit more clear.

Kenny Gainwell | Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2026 Stats: 33 ATT, 149 YDS, 1 TDs, 4.5 YPA

An interesting candidate to keep on the radar for the Texans: Tampa Bay running back Kenneth Gainwell, who was signed to their roster earlier this offseason as a potential running mate for Bucky Irving, but hasn't quite caught onto his new situation as expected.

Maybe a mid-season deal could be in play to get things back on track for Gainwell. And the Texans have both a need and a play style that could help him have a much more successful time in Houston: smaller, more of a gadget runner who can work well in the passing game, and be an interesting one-two punch with a similar back in Woody Marks.

Tony Pollard | Tennessee Titans

2026 Stats: 112 ATT, 478 YDS, 4 TDs, 4.3 YPA

Another name like Jonathan Taylor who has to be mentioned: Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard, who's also been in a fair share of trade rumors leading up to the deadline, and could cost a whole lot less than the Colts' star in the backfield.

Another problem from the Texans' perspective, though, is that Pollard is stuck on a division rival's roster. Even if Pollard isn't exactly a world-changer in the backfield, the Titans may have their reservations about sending him out to Houston and bolstering their roster as a result.