Tony

Pollard

Pollard had missed two practices with a foot issue he picked up in the Titans’ preseason game against the Niners over the weekend. Pollard went for 22 yards and a touchdown on four carries against San Francisco while Tyjae Spears had 35 yards on four rushes. Spears caught one pass in the game while Pollard was not involved in the pass game. Pollard profiles as a flex option in 12-team leagues, though he could be touchdown dependent with Spears taking on much of the pass-catching role.

Head coach Robert Saleh said after the team’s practice on Saturday that he was hopeful to have Pollard back on Monday. That didn’t come to fruition, but hopefully this is a short-term thing for Pollard. The veteran running back rushed four times for 22 yards and a touchdown in the team’s preseason outing against the 49ers and is expected to again lead the Titans’ backfield in touches this season.

This is something of an annual drum beat from Titans camp. Spears suffered an ankle injury early last season that limited his reps. We’re sure if he can stay healthy, his overall share of the backfield snaps and touches will increase. But it’s hard to understand how he’d suddenly become the lead back in Tennessee without an injury to Tony Pollard.

Arvin writes that Tony Pollard is expected to remain the lead back, but he thinks a committee approach could be in order, with the additions of fifth-round pick Nicholas Singleton and the continued presence of Tyjae Spears. On June 11, Titans coach Robert Saleh referred to Pollard and Spears as “the bellcows of this football team,” and said Singleton will have to “compete his way” into the rotation. The Titans have had just three practices since Saleh’s remarks. Pollard remains the top back in Tennessee. Spears is penciled in on passing downs and might get the chance to play a small role on early downs as well. Singleton’s role is murky. It would be reasonable for the Titans to limit a fifth-round rookie to special teams only.

Both Pollard and Spears are entering contract years. Pollard, 29, has missed just one game over the past two seasons, while Spears, 24, has missed nine. Spears also entered the NFL with concerns regarding one of his knees, which has full thickness cartilage loss and is missing its ACL. Pollard has been far more productive than Spears, who acknowledges he needs to prove his consistency to the coaching staff, but Pollard’s age is working against him. Both players appear locked into the top-two spots on the depth chart, but Glennon thinks it’s “not a huge stretch to see” RB Nicholas Singleton becoming the team’s primary ball-carrier in 2027. Of course, we are a long way from having an answer to this. The Titans’ backfield developments in training camp are worth following, though.

Listing Pollard as a bellcow comes as no surprise. Saleh has spoken positively of him already. Including Spears in the “bellcow” column is notable, but we still expect him to be second on the depth chart. Pollard out-touched Spears 275 to 117 last season. Perhaps Spears can tack on a few more touches this year.

“Shoot, Pollard dropped over 100 on us (last season) so I think he’s pretty good ... Spears has tremendous versatility as a three-down back and they both play with a physical mindset. … I’m a believer in our backfield and I think it’s a group that can help our team,” Saleh continued before saying it was one of the better running back rooms in football. We’ve seen plenty of Jeremiyah Love hype for the Titans this offseason, and perhaps this is just a smoke screen, but Saleh appears to be throwing some cold water on the idea. If Pollard can get out of the draft without another high-end back addition, he’ll be a fine Zero-RB stab again in 2026.

The Titans, who have the fourth pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, could be in the running for Love, who impressed at last week’s Scouting Combine. “Anytime you can get a running back like that, especially a three-down running back, that can play in the pass game as well and be able to take over a game, you’ve seen guys in the league now that can do that,” Borgonzi said when being asked about taking a running back in the top five. Titans head coach stressed the importance of a good run game in taking pressure off of second-year QB Cam Ward following Ward’s massive rookie year struggles. The Titans could save around $7 million in cap space if they release Tony Pollard, 29, with a post-June 1 designation. If he lands in Tennessee, Love would likely be the centerpiece of Brian Daboll’s offense, relegating Tyjae Spears to breather back status.

Per usual, Pollard dominated the Titans’ backfield opportunities. Tyjae Spears logged a measly six attempts and caught just two passes. Unlike previous weeks, Pollard didn’t hit 100 yards or find the end zone. It was still a solid game that saw Pollard average 4.5 yards per carry, but fantasy managers might be left wanting more. Pollard will have a hard time getting home versus a motivated Jags squad next week. He will be stuck in the RB2 ranks despite seeing an RB1 workload every week.

The 100-yard rushing effort was Pollard’s third straight. This one was scoreless after a one-yard touchdown late in the fourth was called back by illegal formation. Pollard advanced to the one the next play, but that too was undone by penalty and the Titans had to settle for a field goal. Unfortunate, but Pollard’s hot finish is now a certified trend in a Titans offense that’s been playing better football. That could include for Week 17 against the Saints, though New Orleans is looking like the better version of Tennessee in terms of late 2025 bloomers. Pollard will be in the top 24 for the fantasy finals.