Fueled by draft-day rumors and an expiring contract, the veteran tailback embraces an underdog mentality to extend his elite 1,000-yard streak and prove his worth in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Titans nearly made a move in April that would have impacted running back Tony Pollard.
After General Manager Mike Borgonzi said at the NFL Owners Meeting that the team was leaning toward taking the best player available in the 2026 NFL Draft, all signs pointed to the Titans taking Jeremiyah Love No. 4 overall.
It came down to draft night, as many Titans fans watched with nervous anticipation. After the Titans were trending toward drafting Love, the Arizona Cardinals pulled the rug out from under them.
The Cardinals picked third and chose to take Love right before the Titans had to make their pick. The Titans pivoted to Carnell Tate, who was recently revealed to have the second-best odds of winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Pollard revealed that while he didn't let the noise about the Titans potentially drafting Love affect him, he still heard about it.
He's now entering a contract year with the Titans. He'll be an unrestricted free agent unless the Titans sign him to a new deal before then.
He will be 30 next year and understands that running backs aren't as valuable as they used to be. Still, he's feeling extra motivated heading into the 2026 season.
He shared that sentiment with Go Long's Tyler Dunne.
"It all put me back into the prime spot to feel like I’m the underdog,” Pollard says. “I’m easily overlooked. So it’s easy for me to get up and get going. It’s easy for me to grind and give my all every day because I know they might not be expecting that from me, or they may be surprised by the things that I’m doing. I look at it as motivation.”
That underdog mentality started when he joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2019 after being drafted out of Memphis. He worked his way into a more prominent role and had his first 1,000-yard season in 2022.
Now, he's back in the Volunteer State and just had his fourth-straight 1,000-yard season. Only Pollard and former Titans running back Derrick Henry are the two active NFL players to achieve that feat.
The Titans' backfield now contains Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Nick Singleton, and Julius Chestnut ahead of his third season with the franchise. Pollard is still going to the lead back and will look to continue his streak of 1,000-yard seasons in 2026.
For Pollard, it's never been hard to find extra motivation. He's been overlooked for most of his NFL career.
