Titans Get Major Boost Before Bengals Game
The Tennessee Titans likely won't have a fully-healthy backfield for Week 15's meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals in Nashville, but even a 3-10 season won't stop running back Tony Pollard from pushing through in order to play.
Per reports from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Pollard "will test his ankle" before the game after dealing with the injury throughout the week.
"Titans RB Tony Pollard, who rested early in the week and practiced on Friday, will test his ankle in pre-game warmup, source said," Rapoport tweeted. "The team is hopeful that he'll be out on the field, despite being listed as questionable."
Pollard joined linebacker Otis Reese IV (ankle), offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan (hamstring) and cornerback Roger McCreary (shoulder) with the questionable designation, but it appears he could shed that label before kickoff.
Pollard finished Week 14's 10-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars with 21 carries for 102 yards to go along with two carries for 22 yards. His individual performance was impressive, marking his third 100-yard rushing game of the season.
Headed into the matchup with Cincinnati, Pollard has 213 carries for 937 yards and four touchdowns this season. He's also added 39 catches for 233 yards. If Pollard stays healthy for Tennessee's final four games, he'll be well over the mark for his third-career 1,000-yard rushing season and will almost certainly top the career-high 1,007 yards he had during the 2022 season with the Dallas Cowboys.
Pollard has clearly established himself as Tennessee's RB1 this season. Backup running back Tyjae Spears has dealt with injuries this year and has 50 carries for 185 yards and a touchdown.
The Titans and Bengals will kick off from Nissan Stadium at 1 p.m, ET. Tennessee is already eliminated from postseason contention while Cincinnati isn't mathematically out of it yet despite a 5-8 record.