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Spears remains an intriguing late-round target because of his receiving ability and the possibility that he carves out a bigger role under a new coaching staff. But it's tough to project much more than flex value while Tony Pollard is still around, especially after two straight seasons of underwhelming rushing efficiency.
View Spears as a PPR bench stash with RB3 upside.
Customize his projection for your exact league settings inside the Draft War Room.
Spears carried 72 times for 283 yards and caught 45 balls for 264 yards across 13 games last year. He finished RB42 in PPR points per game and RB50 in half-PPR.
Spears spiked for four top-22 PPR finishes but also ranked outside the top 40 four times.
Spears operated as a change-of-pace, pass-catching back behind Tony Pollard last year. Here’s how they split usage in their 13 games together:
Spears’ 9.1 expected PPR points per game ranked 41st among RBs
Spears struggled on the ground last year, mustering just 3.9 yards per carry. He ranked 40th in yards after contact per attempt and 48th in Pro Football Focus rushing grade among 58 RBs with 70+ carries. He did, at least, beat Pollard in missed tackles forced per attempt (0.18 to 0.16).
Spears performed much better in the passing game, hauling in 90% of his targets. Even with just 5.9 yards per catch, his 1.23 yards per route ranked 16th among 40 RBs with 30+ targets, and he ranked third in PFF receiving grade.
Spears played on a bad Titans offense that ranked:
The offensive line didn’t offer much help, either. Tennessee finished 23rd in PFF run-blocking grade and 26th in ESPN run-block win rate.
Spears has been a productive and efficient pass catcher through three NFL seasons. He ranks 13th among RBs in total receptions and 14th in receiving yards over that span. He has topped 1.2 yards per route in all three years.
Spears has seen relatively light rushing usage, though, going from 5.9 carries per game in 2023 to 7.0 in 2024 and 5.5 last year. After averaging 4.5 yards per carry as a rookie, he has mustered just 3.8 over the last two.
Spears also underwhelmed in advanced rushing metrics in 2024, ranking 38th in yards after contact per attempt and 40th in PFF grade among 53 qualifiers.
Spears played 17 games as a rookie. But he missed five games in 2024 with two concussions, an ankle sprain, and a hamstring injury. He then missed the first four games of 2025 after suffering a high right ankle sprain in the preseason.
His right knee also remains a concern. Spears tore that ACL in high school and again at Tulane in 2020. Medical evaluations before the 2023 NFL Draft revealed he has no remaining ACL in the knee, along with cartilage loss and arthritis.
Spears returns to the Titans’ backfield alongside Pollard. Both guys are entering the final year of their contracts.
The Titans added Nicholas Singleton in Round 5 of the draft. He boasts an enticing combination of size and speed but was out-produced by Kaytron Allen at Penn State. The rookie is worth tracking this summer, but HC Robert Saleh made it clear in June that Singleton is the clear No. 3 RB for now.
“He’s learning it all, he’s got a long way to go, from that regard, like all rookies do,” Saleh said of Singleton. “But to be clear, Tony and Tyjae are the bellcows of this football team, and Nick’s got to compete his way in to find his way in to that group.”
It’s also interesting, of course, that Saleh called both Pollard and Spears the bellcows. He added this:
“But those two complement each other very, very well. They’re both really, really good third-down backs. I remember last year that you’re not beating Tony 1-on-1 in a protection system. The guy is an elite blocker, and he’s also really good out of the backfield. And then Tyjae is really good from a route-running ability. They do a really nice job complementing one another.”
Consider Pollard the favorite to lead this backfield, but the new coaching staff gives Spears a path to earn more work.
The Titans are hoping to get a better Year 2 from QB Cam Ward. He struggled as a rookie, ranking 36th or worse among 42 qualifying QBs in:
Adding WRs Carnell Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson should help.
On the offensive line, the Titans return three starters from last year in LT Dan Moore, RT J.C. Latham, and G Peter Skoronski. There will be competition at the other two spots, with none of the potential winners inspiring.
This projects to again be a subpar to downright bad offensive line.
The Titans will be operating a new offense this season under OC Brian Daboll. He flamed out as Giants HC but had a nice run as Bills OC from 2018-2021.
Daboll has been willing to adjust his play-calling based on his personnel. His later Bills teams leaned pass under QB Josh Allen, but the Giants shifted toward the run with much worse QB play. Expect this Titans offense to be balanced to run-leaning, depending on Ward’s development.
Spears has established himself as a strong pass-catching back and should retain those duties this year. He has a chance to steal more carries from Pollard, a 29-year-old with waning efficiency. And Tennessee’s offense could improve in QB Cam Ward’s second year and with a new coaching staff.
There’s fringe RB2 upside here.
Spears hasn’t been productive or efficient on the ground in either of the last two seasons. He faces new competition this year from Singleton, who boasts impressive size and speed.
Spears has also missed significant time in each of the last two seasons and still has long-term concerns with his right knee.
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Let's Talk Titans Backfield ... and Whether It'll Matter At All
Let's Talk Titans Backfield ... and Whether It'll Matter At All
Tennessee returns Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears to an offense that ranked just 30th in rushing yards and 28th in total RB PPR points last season. The Titans added RB Nicholas Singleton out of Penn State in Round 5. So how should we expect that trio to fit together in the first season under HC Robert Saleh and OC Brian Daboll?
Nicholas Singleton Heads to The Titans in Round 5
Nicholas Singleton Heads to The Titans in Round 5
The Tennessee Titans selected Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton in Round 5 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Singleton brings rare straight-line speed for his size and a slashing style. He’s also one of the top pass-catching backs. Penn State never unleashed him as a true workhorse, but he did play alongside four-star recruit Kaytron Allen. The duo split carries near-evenly across 2022-23 before Allen led 15.3 to 10.9 over the past two seasons. That’s concerning for Singleton’s usage projection. Among the 20 RBs invited to the NFL Combine, Singleton ranked 18th in 2025 rushing market share (25.8%), and in yards after contact per attempt (2.69). He ranked 19th in 2025 missed tackles forced per attempt (0.15) and fifth in receiving yards per route run (1.52). He is currently 22 years old.
Where Has This Tony Pollard Been?
Where Has This Tony Pollard Been?
Titans RB Tony Pollard racked up 161 yards and 2 TDs on a season-high 25 carries in Sunday's narrow victory over the Browns. The game marked the first time since Week 5 that Pollard found the end zone or rushed more than 11 times. His production relied heavily on TD runs of 65 and 32 yards, which accounted for 60.3% of his rushing yardage for the game. Pollard averaged just 2.8 yards across his other 23 attempts, which falls much more in line with the Cleveland rushing matchup for the year.
Tyjae Spears Leads Titans' Backfield Split
Tyjae Spears Leads Titans' Backfield Split
For the third time in Tennessee's last 5 games, Tyjae Spears out-snapped Tony Pollard in the Titans' 16-13 Week 11 loss to the Texans. Spears played 32 snaps to Pollard's 29, but neither back had much success against Houston's top-ranked defense. Tennessee only ran for 58 yards in the game, and QB Cam Ward was the team's leading rusher with 33 of those yards. Pollard and Spears combined to rush 14 times for 25 yards -- an average of just 1.78 yards per carry.
Tyjae Spears Leads Backfield Playing Time, Production
Tyjae Spears Leads Backfield Playing Time, Production
Titans RB Tyjae Spears ran for a team-high 59 yards and Tennessee's lone ground score in Sunday's loss to the Colts. He added 3 receptions for 23 yards among three targets, also beating RB Tony Pollard in each of those categories. Spears accounted for a lot of those yards on just two plays: a 41-yard run in the second quarter and a 17-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter. But he also beat Pollard in total snaps and pass routes for the game, and trailed Pollard by only two carries.
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