The Tennessee Titans are promoting running back Dontrell Hilliard to their active roster, per a tweet by his agent David Canter.
Congratulations to @GSEworldwide client @D_Hilliard26 on signing to the @Titans active roster. #letsbegreat pic.twitter.com/P3XUQDmOS8
— David Canter (@davidcanter) November 23, 2021
Hilliard served as a standard callup elevation from the practice squad in Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans, therefore he wasn’t actually on the 53-man roster. His inspiring performance has now apparently earned him a much-deserved promotion. It also likely means that Jeremy McNichols will be out at least another week or two.
Hilliard carried the ball seven times for 35 yards on Sunday. He appeared to have some juice and energy while carrying the football as a traditional between-the-tackles runner. His usage in the run game served as a bit of a minor surprise, as Hilliard got into the game before D’Onta Foreman did. It’s easy to see why now. Hilliard ran the ball with great decisiveness, and led Tennessee’s running backs in yards per carry on the day with five.
Hilliard also made a large impact in the passing game, where he caught a team-high eight balls for 47 yards. With Tennessee trailing by two and three scores for much of the second half, Hilliard was routinely on the field as the team’s pass-catching back. It led to Hilliard playing a healthy 51 snaps on offense, which accounted for 63% of the team’s offensive plays. For comparison purposes, Adrian Peterson and Foreman only played 15 apiece.
This news likely means more roster moves are coming on Tuesday afternoon. Stay tuned to MCM for all roster updates and in-depth analysis.