​The Tennessee Titans are planning to bring back Tony Pollard as their starting running back this offseason. Throughout the pre-draft process, they were connected to Jeremiyah Love, but even with Love were selected No. 3 overall, it seems the Titans were steering toward Carnell Tate at the fourth overall pick all along. Additionally, Tennessee showed little interest in veteran running backs during free agency, and they added Nicholas Singleton from Penn State on Day Three. Mike Borgonzi and Robert Saleh appeared content to proceed with a backfield pairing of Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears for a third straight season.
Pollard is aiming to reach 1,000 rushing yards for the fifth consecutive season in 2026, a mark he’s approached with remarkable consistency over the past several years. He’s one of only a couple of NFL backs to maintain such a streak, with Derrick Henry being the other standout example. Pro Football Focus recently ranked all 32 starting running backs and placed Pollard at No. 21. Titans fans might feel this ranking is a touch harsh, especially since several peers—Jaylen Warren, Omarion Hampton, and Chase Brown—ranked above him.
“Pollard has served as a bell-cow back over the last few seasons and has hit the 1,000-yard mark in four straight years,” wrote Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick. “His 1,082 rushing yards in 2025 were a career high, yet they came with a career-low 70.5 PFF rushing grade. The dip in grade can be attributed largely to Pollard forcing missed tackles on just 16% of his carries, which placed him 36th in the league in that metric. Still, Pollard remains a back who can shoulder a heavy workload, a trait that can be valuable for an offense as the Titans continue to develop quarterback Cam Ward.”
It’s clear Pollard’s production last season wasn’t explosive in terms of missed-tackle generation or the yardage he created for himself. The Memphis product often flourishes when the blocking is there, and the Titans will be hoping for a stronger blend of Pollard’s Decision-making and offensive line performance in 2026. If Pollard and Tennessee’s blocking unit mesh effectively, there’s reason to believe he can sustain a high workload and help the Titans offense take steps forward as Cam Ward gains more experience under center.