Tony Pollard joined the elite 1,000-yard club again, but Tennessee’s lack of rushing depth threatens to stall the offense unless Tyjae Spears or a hungry rookie class steps up.
Out of all the contracts that former Tennessee Titans General Manager Ran Carthon gave out throughout his tenure, running back Tony Pollard is proving to be the best one.
Lloyd Cushenberry and L'Jarius Sneed have been released after not being able to stay healthy over the course of their two years with the Titans.
After finishing with 1,017 receiving yards in 2024, Calvin Ridley looked confused last season. He had issues dropping passes and then suffered a season-ending injury halfway through the season.
Ridley is back on a restructured deal, but it seems that the franchise is losing patience with him.
Pollard has been one of the most consistent players on the team over the last two seasons. He had his second consecutive year on the Titans with over 1,000 rushing yards in 2025.
He and Derrick Henry are the only current NFL players with 1,000 yards in the last four seasons.
Even though Pollard had another great year, when he wasn't on the field, the running game took a hit. The Titans as a whole ran for 93.5 rushing yards per game, which was the third-fewest in the NFL last season.
Pollard did all he could, but his supporting cast wasn't very consistent.
Tyjae Spears missed multiple games due to injury, and then even when he was on the field, he wasn't very reliable. Spears ran for 283 rushing yards.
Then, there was Julius Chestnut.
Even quarterback Cam Ward had more rushing yards than he did. Chestnut ended last season with 40 rushing yards.
Luckily, it looks like the Titans are slowly realizing that Pollard can't bear the weight on the rushing attack on his own.
The running back room currently features Pollard, rookie Nicholas Singleton, Spears, Kalel Mullings and Michael Carter.
Head coach Robert Saleh said earlier this offseason that the plan is for Pollard and Spears to be the bell cows in the backfield. When we last got an update on where Singleton stands, Saleh was clear that the rookie needs to earn his spot in the running back room.
It seems Singleton will have to compete for his spot with Carter, who has multiple years of NFL experience. Mullings and Chestnut should be fighting for the last spot in the backfield on him.
This is a big year for Pollard and Spears, since it's the final year of both their contracts. Spears hasn't been able to play a full season in the last two years and absolutely needs to be healthy this year.
Having more consistent play in the backfield is going to be crucial for Cam Ward as well. If the Titans can play complementary football in 2026, it could benefit Ward and the offense.
This way, Ward doesn't have to feel like he has to do everything on his own.
We can't have a repeat of last season for many reasons, especially in the running game. Pollard is a great running back. There's no denying that.
However, he can't be expected to carry the rushing attack on his own for this team to have success. The modern NFL offense has shifted toward a committee approach for many of the league's 32 teams.
It's time for the Titans to embrace that, or the whole team may suffer again.
