The Titans have a lot more to sort through in 2026 than they did a year ago, and that shift is showing up in this top 25 list. Tony Pollard lands at No. 13, which would have looked awfully low for him last season.
Back then, he probably would have cracked the top 10 and maybe pushed into the top five. This time around, the roster has more names in the mix, but Pollard still matters plenty.
Head coach Robert Saleh recently made that clear when he said Pollard and Tyjae Spears will be his bellcows in 2026. That mattered because, heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, there were real questions about whether Pollard would even still be on the team. Instead, he’s not just staying - he’s still the lead back.
That makes Pollard one of the more interesting pieces on this offense. He’s not flashy, but he’s dependable.
He has put together four straight seasons with 1,000-plus rushing yards, and he’s done it without consistently having great blocking in front of him. That kind of production has a way of getting overlooked, but it shouldn’t.
He also brings something that doesn’t show up in the box score. Pollard gives the Titans a veteran presence in a locker room that will include Tyjae Spears, Cam Ward, Wan’Dale Robinson, Gunnar Helm, and Carnell Tate.
That matters. He’s the kind of player who adds value beyond the carries he gets on Sundays.
On the field, Pollard is pretty easy to define at this point. He’s a solid between-the-tackles runner who keeps churning through contact.
For his career, he’s averaged about two yards after contact, and in 2025 he forced 16 missed tackles. He’s not built around explosion anymore, and as he nears 30, that part of his game isn’t likely to get any better.
He also isn’t the cleanest receiver or the most dynamic route runner. He can handle some passes as an outlet, but he’s not going to give the Titans the kind of receiving juice Spears can.
And he’s not the kind of runner who’s going to flip a game with a 100-yard burst or a highlight-reel stiff-arm like Derrick Henry. Still, he’s steady, and he won’t beat himself.
That reliability is part of why Pollard has stayed valuable even while producing on one of the league’s worst teams. He’s done the job without making noise, and even with people pushing for Jeremiyah Love this offseason, he kept his head down and went to work.
No. 13 feels about right. Pollard is still a starter, but he’s no longer the only back the Titans plan to lean on. Saleh has already said Spears will have a major role, and Nic Singleton is also on the roster and should get involved at some point in his rookie season.
Pollard doesn’t rank higher because his production hasn’t translated into wins the way it should have. Even with more than 1,000 rushing yards in both 2024 and 2025, the Titans never got past three victories. But this year could be different in one important way: the offense should be better, which means Pollard may not have to carry quite as much of the burden to keep drives moving.
At his best, he’s a top-half running back who can give you four yards a pop. In what likely will be his final season in Nashville, that still earns him a place on the list.
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