Tyjae Spears’ grip on the Titans’ backfield has slipped, and the opening behind Tony Pollard may not belong to the player most people expected.
Spears entered the season healthy and ready to chip away at Pollard’s workload, and that looked like a real plan after the two backs split snaps in Week 1. But by Week 7, the picture had changed.
Pollard posted his best game of the season against the Cleveland Browns, while Spears was inactive because of a nagging knee injury. Nick Singleton, who might have been the obvious next man up, didn’t even get a chance - he was a healthy scratch for the second straight week.
That left Michael Carter to handle the opportunity, and he made at least a modest case for himself. The work was limited, but compared with what Spears and Singleton have produced in their own rare chances lately, Carter looked more effective.
The bigger issue for Tennessee is that Spears’ slide appears to be about more than just availability. His play hasn’t helped him, and if the Titans ever move Pollard, the path to the top of the depth chart doesn’t look nearly as clear for Spears as it once did.
If Singleton still isn’t ready, Carter suddenly becomes a more realistic option in a backfield role nobody had really pictured for him this season. Robert Saleh said as much when he pointed to Carter’s all-around value:
Saleh: RB Michael Carter has 3-down value with regard to protection, route running. Nick Singleton is still growing at this point. Carter's overall 3-down value is greater at this point@Titans
Carter’s brief work in Week 6 also gave Tennessee a little something to build on. He ran for seven yards on three carries and caught his only target for another seven yards, and those numbers topped anything Spears or Singleton had done since Week 3.
There’s a reason Carter looked prepared. He’s not some total unknown; as recently as 2025, he played in 13 games for the Arizona Cardinals and totaled 333 yards with a touchdown as a backup. That kind of experience matters when a team suddenly needs someone dependable in a hurry.
None of this changes the fact that a Pollard trade would reshape the Titans’ backfield in a major way. But for now, Carter has at least staked a believable claim to the RB2 job if Spears remains out and doesn’t produce quickly when he returns.
And with Saleh emphasizing Carter’s ability in the passing game, that matters here. Spears has long been Tennessee’s receiving back, but a few more encouraging flashes from Carter could put him in position to challenge a role that, just weeks ago, seemed out of reach.
In Other News...
Jaguars Trade Buzz Now Centers On One Name Fans Wont Like
The trade chatter around the AFC South has widened beyond the usual deadline-day noise, with multiple NFL teams reportedly inquiring about deals for Colts receiver Josh Downs and Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. The latest buzz has also linked Jacksonville to a possible pursuit of Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne, adding another layer to a division already full of roster questions as teams weigh whether to buy, sell or stay put.
League sources have also put Jermaine Johnson, Tony Pollard and Alontae Taylor in the conversation as potential trade candidates, which only adds to the sense that the market could move quickly if one deal gets enough traction. For the Titans, it is another reminder that the division around them is not standing still, and any shift at the deadline could alter both the short-term race and the longer view of how these rivals are built. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Loom In One Of The NFLs Biggest Trade Decisions
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the league has already seen one of its most consequential in-season swings, as the Colts moved guard Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks for future draft picks and sent defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the 49ers for a draft pick. Deals of that size have a way of resetting the market, and they tend to invite every team with a meaningful decision to the center of the conversation.
For Tennessee, that matters because Jeffery Simmons is part of the wider trade discussion now forming around some of the leagues biggest names. Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley, Brian Thomas and Budda Baker are also being floated as potential candidates, with possible landing spots already being mapped out, but the bigger question is how aggressive teams become once a move like Seattles changes the temperature. The Titans may not be the only club watching closely, but they are firmly among the teams who need to know where that market is heading before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Tight End Plan Is Becoming A Real Brian Daboll Problem
The Titans offense has spent most of the first half of the season stuck near the bottom of the league in points scored, and the scrutiny on Brian Daboll has only grown as the unit has struggled to find any real rhythm. One of the quieter issues inside that broader problem has been tight end, where Tennessee brought in Daniel Bellinger on a three-year deal with the hope that he could help stabilize a position that often matters as much for balance and protection as it does for the passing game.
So far, though, Bellinger has not given the Titans much in the way of receiving production, and his blocking numbers have not pushed the conversation forward either. Add in Gunnar Helm, and the fit still looks unsettled, with the two tight ends failing to give Tennessee the kind of complementary pairing it needs. For a coordinator already taking heat, the bigger concern is whether the issue is less about talent and more about how those roles are being deployed. [Read more 🡒]