Tony Pollard has spent the last few seasons doing his part while the Tennessee Titans kept spinning their wheels. Even through a stretch that has produced just six wins over the last two years and no winning season since 2021, the Memphis product has kept stacking production, with four straight 1,000-yard campaigns and two of those coming after he signed with Tennessee during the 2024 offseason.
That kind of steady work usually earns a little more respect. Instead, Pollard got left out again.
In ESPN’s annual survey, Jeremy Fowler asks executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the NFL’s top 10 players at each position, with honorable mentions and other names also getting votes from league personnel. Pollard wasn’t on the list last year, and he was nowhere to be found this year either. In fact, he didn’t receive a single vote.
The backs who did get mentioned included D'Andre Swift, Javonte Williams, Chase Brown, Ashton Jeanty, TreVeyon Henderson, Travis Etienne Jr., and Alvin Kamara. For a player who has missed only one game over the last three years and has been one of Tennessee’s few consistent bright spots, that omission lands hard.
There’s no denying that some of the backs ahead of Pollard have the edge. But the source of the frustration here is obvious: Pollard was more productive last season than Kamara, Jeanty, and Henderson, and he’s been far more consistent than Kamara, who is said to be on a heavy decline and won’t even open 2026 as the New Orleans Saints’ starter after Etienne Jr.’s arrival.
Pollard, now entering the final year of his deal, already had plenty riding on the upcoming season. Now he’s got a fresh layer of motivation after being shut out completely by the people voting on ESPN’s list.
If he wants the recognition to follow, it’s going to take another big year - one that keeps him among the AFC’s most productive runners and gives him the kind of explosive plays that get people talking. But the bigger piece is right there in the story: production has to turn into wins.
That’s where Tennessee’s hope comes in. The Titans are expected to look different in 2026, with Brian Daboll taking over as offensive coordinator, Carnell Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson added at receiver, and a defensive overhaul led by head coach Robert Saleh. If that all clicks and Pollard remains central to the offense, the league may finally be forced to pay attention.
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What makes him especially relevant in Tennessee is the role he can fill behind Alontae Taylor and Cor'Dale Flott at boundary corner. Williams brings size, special teams value and the sort of flexibility that can help a coaching staff keep its options open if the camp competition gets tight, and the Titans will be watching closely to see whether he can turn that backup job into something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]