Spears (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
At first glance, Spears' 'DNP' to start the practice week might be concerning, but for his part the running back plans to play Sunday against the Packers, John Glennon of NashvillePost.com reports. Supporting that notion is that prior to Wednesday's session, coach Brian Callahan reiterated that moving forward he wants to get more touches for Spears, who exited this past Sunday's loss to the Jets with an ankle injury that is not thought to be serious.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Not seen at practice
Rotowire
Spears (ankle) wasn't spotted during the media-access portion of Wednesday's practice, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Coach Brian Callahan indicated earlier this week that Spears was "day-to-day" with an ankle issue that's not believed to be serious, but the running back's absence from the early portion of Wednesday's session makes his status worth monitoring. If Spears is limited or out Sunday against the Packers, Tony Pollard would be in line for added touches in Week 3.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Ankle injury seems minor
Rotowire
Spears (ankle) avoided a major injury during the Titans' 24-17 loss to the Jets on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Spears rushed six times for 20 yards and caught two of his three targets for 11 yards before being forced off the field Sunday. Though Rapoport didn't offer more details about Spears' injury, it's encouraging that the second-year pro had dodged a major ankle issue. Spears will look to get back on the practice field in preparation for Tennessee's matchup against the Packers in Week 3, with the team's first official injury report slated to arrive Wednesday. Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports that head coach Brian Callahan called Spears "day-to-day" on Monday.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Hurts ankle Sunday
Rotowire
Spears exited Sunday's game against the Jets with an ankle injury, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Prior to being forced out of the contest, Spears carried six times for 20 yards and caught two of his three targets for 11 yards. In his absence, Julius Chestnut is available to handle snaps behind Tony Pollard.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Short end of committee
Rotowire
Spears rushed the ball four times for 21 yards in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Bears. He added four receptions on four targets for 11 yards.
The Titans insisted they would run an evenly split backfield between Spears and Tony Pollard to begin the season, but that didn't come to fruition. Pollard got each of the first eight carries for the team, while Spears didn't manage a carry until early in second quarter -- Tennessee's fourth possession. Spears did enter the game in obvious passing situations and as a breather back but ultimately saw 11 fewer touches than Pollard and played 11 fewer offensive snaps, per Turron Davenport of ESPN.com.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Sleeper RBs
Rotowire
Tony Pollard is worth using as a No. 2 running back this week, but Spears can also be a flex. We don't know exactly how the Titans plan to split touches for Pollard and Spears, but it could be an even split. And I wouldn't be surprised if Spears gets more work in the passing game. Last year, the Bears were No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs and No. 2 in most receptions allowed to the position, which could help Spears as a receiver out of the backfield.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Even split coming for Week 1
Rotowire
Spears is expected to split snaps evenly with Tony Pollard in the Titans' Week 1 matchup against the Bears, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.
The Titans have consistently stated that Spears and Pollard are viewed as interchangeable, and offensive coordinator Nick Holz reiterated that again Wednesday. He did note that both backs have plays specifically installed in the offense for them, with preseason usage suggesting that the team prefers Pollard in short-yardage situations. That could hurt Spears' ability to find the end zone, though he'll likely have the opportunity to make up for that with his playmaking ability as a pass catcher.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Cedes key snaps to Pollard
Rotowire
Spears rushed four times for 12 yards and caught his only target for 12 yards in Sunday's 30-27 preseason win over the Saints.
Spears watched Tony Pollard play the opening drive and score a one-yard rushing touchdown before checking in for the second possession. While Spears played most of the second drive with the first-team offense, the Titans opted to put Pollard back in for a fourth-and-1, and Pollard rewarded that decision with a 14-yard catch to extend the possession. Spears also got a couple reps with second-string quarterback Mason Rudolph on the third drive, and his lone reception came on a pass from Rudolph. The team's decisions to start Pollard and bring the veteran free-agent signing in for a key fourth-down situation suggest Spears is running behind in Tennessee's backfield timeshare heading into the Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Bears, but both running backs are expected to play prominent roles as the Titans begin the post-Derrick Henry era.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Sees four touches to Pollard's six
Rotowire
Spears rushed three times for two yards and a touchdown and caught his only target for two yards in Saturday's 17-13 preseason win over the Titans.
Tony Pollard was the first back deployed in Saturday's exhibition, but Spears had his touches mixed in with the first-unit offense. The 23-year-old didn't do much with his four touches in comparison to co-starter Pollard (6-46-0), but he was able to cash in a short touchdown run behind a revamped offensive line. Both backs should continue to get plenty of run this preseason as they jockey for position atop Tennessee's depth chart.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Faces new competition in Pollard
Rotowire
Spears faces a new backfield situation that's set to add Tony Pollard via a three-year, $24 million contract, while Derek Henry remains slated for free agency, Eric Edholm of NFL.com reports.
Spears, a 2023 third-round pick, is coming off a strong rookie season in which he compiled 838 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns, showcasing versatility and explosiveness despite only getting one chance to handle double-digit carries in a game. The Titans' decision to sign Pollard appears to simultaneously signal the end of Henry's era with the team. Spears could have an easier path to genuinely competing for touches with Pollard, whereas Henry was firmly entrenched as a true lead back, and both players profile similarly. Spears and Pollard are each versatile and elusive runners, which will allow Tennessee's offense to swap both players off the field relatively freely. Spears and Pollard look the part of a solid 1-2 punch, though for fantasy purposes it's possible they could both limit each other from attaining a true workhorse workload.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Sleeper RBs
Rotowire
This is likely Derrick Henry's last game in Tennessee as a member of the Titans, and we'll see how he does to help Tennessee play spoiler against Jacksonville. Depending on how this game unfolds, Spears could also play a prominent role for the Titans -- and Fantasy managers. Spears scored at least 11.7 PPR points in three of his past five games, and he has at least four catches in four of his past five outings. His role in the passing game is relevant since the Jaguars are No. 1 in most receptions allowed to running backs, and 13 running backs have caught at least four passes against Jacksonville this year. Now, Spears -- and Henry -- both struggled at Jacksonville in Week 11, as Henry scored 5.4 PPR points and Spears 4.6. But both should do better at home, and Henry is worth using as a No. 2 running back in all leagues, with Spears a sleeper as a flex.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Struggles on six carries
Rotowire
Spears ran for zero yards on six carries and caught four passes for 29 yards on six targets in Sunday's 26-3 loss to the Texans.
The Titans were completely overmatched against Houston, and no aspect of the Tennessee offense gained much traction. Spears saw RB3 Jonathan Ward take three carries in this one, but the blowout was probably a factor in that outcome. Spears has no serious competition for the RB2 role alongside Derrick Henry, and Spears should continue to see most passing-down snaps as well as almost all of the non-Henry carries in the Tennessee offense.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Sleeper RBs
Rotowire
I'm expecting Derrick Henry to struggle in Week 17 at Houston. And typically, when Henry struggles it's because the Titans are trailing and throwing the ball to catch up. That's usually where Spears comes into play. He's scored at least 11.7 PPR points in three of his past four games, and he has at least four catches and six targets in three of those outings. Now, the one game where he struggled over that span was Week 15 against Houston when he had nine carries for 30 yards and one catch for 7 yards on one target. But I'm expecting more involvement in the passing game in the rematch, and eight running backs this season have at least four catches against the Texans. I like Spears as a PPR flex option in Week 17.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Earns 14 touches in Week 16
Rotowire
Spears notched nine carries for 40 yards and five catches (on six targets) for 27 yards during Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Seahawks.
The Titans have incorporated the rookie third-round pick more in the offense in the last three contests, as he has earned at least 10 touches on each occasion. The trend continued Sunday, and the current four-game stretch has yielded 174 yards on the ground and 136 yards through the air on 57 touches. Tennessee's lead runner Derrick Henry got back into a groove Sunday, though, with 20 touches for 99 yards from scrimmage and one rushing TD, so Spears seemingly will be capped in the lower teens in terms of touches down the stretch. In any case, Spears will look to keep it up Sunday, Dec. 31 at Houston.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Held to 37 total yards
Rotowire
Spears rushed the ball nine times for 30 yards in Sunday's 19-16 loss to Houston. He added one catch on one target for seven yards.
Spears saw his second-highest carry total of the season, though he lacked his typical explosiveness. He was limited to a long gain of only nine yards, and his 37 total yards from scrimmage was his lowest mark since Week 8. Spears should have the chance to bounce back in a Week 16 matchup against a susceptible Seattle rush defense.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Tops 100 total yards again
Rotowire
Spears rushed the ball seven times for 29 yards in Monday's 28-27 win over Miami. He added six receptions on eight targets for 89 yards.
Spears had only 23 yards from scrimmage in the first half, but he emerged as a favorite target of Will Levis in the final 17 minutes of game time. That began with a 30-yard catch that set up a field goal at the end of the third quarter. Spears then delivered long catches of 21 and 12 yards on a touchdown drive to bring the Titans within one score in the middle of the fourth quarter. Overall, he managed at least 100 yards from scrimmage for the second consecutive game, with Monday's effort being particularly promising, as it came in tandem with Derrick Henry also seeing 18 touches.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Sleeper RBs
Rotowire
It seems like Derrick Henry (head) will play Monday night at Miami after leaving Week 13 against the Colts, but this feels like a bad game script for him with the Dolphins favored by nearly two touchdowns. Enter Spears, who could see a lot of playing time if the Titans are trailing, and the more touches for Spears, the better. We saw that against Indianapolis with 16 carries for 75 yards and four catches for 13 yards on six targets. He won't get that much work if Henry is healthy, but Spears could still be a flex option in deeper leagues in Week 14.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
Rotowire
It seems like Derrick Henry (head) will play Monday night at Miami after leaving Week 13 against the Colts, but this feels like a bad game script for him with the Dolphins favored by nearly two touchdowns. Enter Spears, who could see a lot of playing time if the Titans are trailing, and the more touches for Spears, the better. We saw that against Indianapolis with 16 carries for 75 yards and four catches for 13 yards on six targets. He won't get that much work if Henry is healthy, but Spears could still be a flex option in deeper leagues in Week 14.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Minimal opportunity in Week 12
Rotowire
Spears rushed the ball two times for six yards in Sunday's 17-10 win over the Panthers. He added one reception on three targets for one yard.
Spears saw his lowest touch total of the season, and he's now been held under 20 rushing yards in four consecutive games. He's shown explosive ability at various points in his rookie campaign, but with such limited opportunity, his contributions on a weekly basis are unreliable.
... See More... See Less
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Totals 60 scrimmage yards in loss
Rotowire
Spears rushed five times for 18 yards and brought in four of five targets for 42 yards in the Titans' 20-6 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Spears duplicated his modest rushing line from a Week 9 loss to the Steelers and gained all but three of his yards on one carry, but he made much more of an impact through the air. The rookie finished with a team-high reception total and was second only to Kyle Philips in receiving yards with a total that qualified as his best single-game figure yet. Spears has now played 77 snaps from scrimmage over the last two games, and it remains to be seen if he'll begin commanding a larger share of the rushing workload at the expense of Derrick Henry in a Week 11 road matchup against the Jaguars.
