Titans RB Room Looks Very Different

The Tennessee Titans will have a different rushing attack than what they are used to this season.

Running back Tyjae Spears (2) jokes with a coach during the Tennessee Titans mandatory mini-camp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, June 5, 2024. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA

For the first time since 2016, the Tennessee Titans won't have Derrick Henry in the backfield, which will lead to a very different rushing attack in Nashville.

There are some familiar faces in Hassan Haskins and Julian Chestnut (both back for their third seasons) and second-year pro Tyjae Spears, who is expected to be one of the leaders for the unit.

Spears had a decent rookie campaign running behind Henry on the depth chart. He carried the ball 100 times for 453 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 52 catches for 385 yards and a touchdown through the air, making him a dual threat in the backfield.

Spears was expected to be Henry's successor, which is why the Titans spent a Day 2 pick on him last year. However, for added insurance, the team also signed Tony Pollard from the Dallas Cowboys to a three-year deal.

Pollard is coming off two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, but he did not showcase as much juice in 2023 as he did in 2022 for the Cowboys. Could this be leading to a decline? Possibly, but Pollard still has potential to be a great running back in the NFL. Perhaps a change of scenery will do him some good.

The meat of this unit comes with Pollard and Spears, but it remains to be seen how new head coach Brian Callahan will incorporate them into the offense. Both are very similar players, able to both make tacklers miss in space and catch out of the backfield. That lack of variety could lead to a dominant share in carries if one outperforms the other.

The Titans still need a change-of-pace back, which is why undrafted rookies Jabari Small and Dillon Johnson shouldn't be completely ruled out of the roster. Of the two, Johnson gives more variety as a 6-0, 218-pound back. He can be more of a bruiser that Henry was, which would give the Titans something they don't currently have.

However, there is a world where Spears and Pollard end up complementing each other really well and they defy expectations. If they can do that, the Titans may have a secret weapon up their sleeves.

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