The Tennessee Titans announced on Saturday that running back Tyjae Spears was coming off the IR list and would be activated just in time for the contest against the Arizona Cardinals.
Spears (5’-11”, 195 pounds) suffered a high ankle sprain in the first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was placed on IR the following day. His injury did not require surgery, but a procedure was performed followed by rehab.
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The Titans have had running
back issues just like the Cardinals. Arizona lost starter James Conner for the year with an ankle issue, and then his backup, Trey Benson, went down with a knee injury this past week and will out at least four weeks.
For the Titans, Tony Pollard is the starting running back, but Spears was supposed to become his complementary back and take snaps and a workload off of Pollard. Before the season began, Titans head coach Brian Callahan envisioned a balanced running attack with both Pollard and Spears.
Spears was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft out of Tulane, where he was named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year. In his senior campaign, he rushed for 1,581 yards with 19 rushing touchdowns. His 229 carries led the conference, so he is used to being the main back.
He is also a very good pass catcher out of the backfield. At Tulane and in his rookie NFL season, he was utilized quite a bit in the flats and lined up in the slot as a receiver.
Coach Callahan had a lot of praise for Spears and is excited to get him back into the lineup. He told ESPN:
“In a perfect world, it’s a healthier division of labor [between Pollard and Spears]. I like really both of those players a lot. I think we can do a better job of managing that load so they both play a little more evenly.”
In his rookie season, Spears had 100 carries for 453 yards with two touchdowns, 24 first-down conversions, and a 4.5 yards per carry average. He also contributed with 52 receptions for 385 yards and a single score.
The addition of Spears came at the most opportune time, who was timed at 4.54 in the 40. Currently, Tennessee is ranked #29 in several categories: total rushing yards (348), rushing TDs (1), rushes for first down conversions (20), and rushing attempts (88).
The Titans are dead last in total points scored with 51, and own a record of 0-4-0.
