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Titans Looking For More Balanced Backfield

By Jared Smola | Updated on Wed, May 21 2025 1:55 PM UTC
Tony Pollard Headshot

Titans HC Brian Callahan said Tuesday that he's looking for a more even distribution of touches this season between RBs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. He added that he might even get a third RB — Julius Chestnut or Kalel Mullings — involved.

What They're Saying

Callahan on his plans for Pollard and Spears: "So, I like really both of those players a lot. I think we can do a better job of managing that load so they both play a little more evenly and allows us to maybe have a spot for a third back between Julius [Chestnut] and Kalel [Mullings], some heavier style back and runner. So hopefully that division of labor gets a little more evenly distributed so [Pollard] doesn't have to take the brunt of it. And we can get 17 games out of all those guys at their best."

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

Spears was banged up for much of last season, and Pollard battled an ankle injury late in the year.

Pollard was the clear lead back when both guys were healthy, though. Here's how the work was split across those 10 games.

  • Pollard 
    • 13.3 carries per game (57.3% share)
    • 3.5 targets per game (11.3% share)
  • Spears
    • 5.8 carries per game (25.0% share)
    • 2.9 targets per game (9.4% share)

Pollard was the more effective runner last year, beating Spears in yards per carry, yards after contact per attempt, and Pro Football Focus rushing grade. But Spears beat Pollard in most receiving metrics, including yards per route and PFF receiving grade.

We could certainly see Spears playing more passing downs in 2025, along with taking a bit more rushing work.

We're not expecting Chestnut or Mullings to play a significant role as long as Pollard and Spears are healthy. But we'll keep a close eye on this backfield throughout the summer.

See where all the Titans sit in the updated RB rankings.

Jared Smola Author Image
Jared Smola, Lead Analyst
Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks sixth among 158 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.
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