The Tennessee Titans entered the 2024 season intending to field a timeshare between Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears at running back. That offseason fantasy has come nowhere near reaching reality. Pollard has dominated the touches while being the MVP of an underwhelming offense, and Spears has seldom made an impact.
Spears has played 238 offensive snaps this season compared to Pollard's 632. It's worth acknowledging the former Tulane standout missed four contests with an injury. Still, take his average weekly workload of 24 snaps, multiply that by four and his season-long total would still be a projected 333 snaps, nowhere near a 50-50 split with Pollard.
With the Titans trailing much of Sunday's Week 15 game versus the Cincinnati Bengals, and Pollard nursing an injury that's becoming more difficult to play through as a wasted season wears mercilessly forward, Spears saw his biggest workload of the campaign. He played 39 snaps, surpassing 50 percent of head coach Brian Callahan's available snap-count for the first time. Spears ran with his opportunity, proving he should have been playing an expanded role earlier in the season.
The 2023 third-round selection was a force multiplier in the passing game, recording six receptions on seven targets for 87 yards and a touchdown. Spears created Tennessee's most explosive play on offense, generating yards after catch on a 43-yard gain. All in all, Spears averaged 14.5 yards per reception.
Have a day Tyjae! @Tyjae22 up to 80 receiving yards on the day with a gain of 43 here
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) December 15, 2024
📺: Watch #CINvsTEN on @NFLonFOX stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/LDTLl9D0Ab
Spears also scored a rushing touchdown, giving him his first multi-TD showing of the season. He gained just five ground yards via four carries, but it was his passing-down effectiveness that indicated he deserved a larger role earlier in the campaign. Wouldn't Spears' separation quickness have been appreciated by struggling quarterback Will Levis, who, albeit, was benched on Sunday for committing four turnovers despite benefiting from his No. 2 back?
The right side of the offensive line has been a sore-spot all campaign long in pass protection. Callahan has made a concentrated effort to call quick-hitting plays for a struggling passing offense. Spears would have been a major asset to those efforts.
Pollard ranks seventh in the league in rushing (977). He's closing in on 1,000 yards and has undeniably been Tennessee's best player on either side of the ball this season. But look around the NFL and plenty of successful offenses are supporting two backs, like the Detroit Lions (David Montgomery/Jahmyr Gibbs) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Rachaad White/Bucky Irving).
Perhaps the Titans haven't consistently sustained enough drives to mix personnel as much as they'd like. But Sunday's showing proved Spears still possesses the game-changing potential he often flashed throughout his exciting rookie season. Spears deserved(s) more opportunities, both previous and present.