After the loss of Derrick Henry this offseason, the Tennessee Titans will be counting on a younger running back to help fill the void.
Much of the attention will be on free agent pickup Tony Pollard, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. However, second-year running back Tyjae Spears will also have a large role to play.
A 2023 third-round pick out of Tulane, Spears had a decent rookie season as he rushed for 453 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per attempt. While he played second fiddle to Henry last season, he will now probably form more of a proper tandem alongside Pollard.
Spears showed in college that he can be a game-breaker, as he had 1,581 yards and 19 touchdowns in his final season at Tulane. Now that Spears has a greater opportunity, Tony Catalina of Pro Football Network expects him to break out in a big way.
"The Titans saw the departure of Derrick Henry, only to welcome the addition of Tony Pollard. However, despite the presence of Pollard in the backfield, the dynamic has changed and more players will get opportunities in the Titans’ backfield in 2024. With his speed and shifty ability, Spears should be a complement to Pollard," Catalina writes.
It also helps that Spears will be running behind a much-improved offensive line compared to last year. The addition of No. 7 overall pick JC Latham and free agent pickup Lloyd Cushenberry should mean that Spears and Pollard have better lanes to run through than before.
If all goes according to plan, Spears could very well establish himself as a key piece of the Titans' new-look offense.
