The Titans designated running back Tyjae Spears to return to practice on Wednesday, according to Jim Wyatt of the team’s website. They’ll have 21 days to activate Spears from injured reserve after opening his practice window.
Spears has been unavailable at the outset of his third season after succumbing to a high ankle sprain in August. The 24-year-old previously missed five games in 2024 with multiple injuries. Since the Titans took him in the third round of the 2023 draft, the former Tulane star has appeared in 29 games and rushed for 765 yards on 184 attempts (4.2 YPC), adding six touchdowns on the ground. He has also been a useful option in the passing game, having racked up 82 catches for 609 yards and two scores.
If he returns this year, Spears should again work behind starter Tony Pollard, who’s seeking his fourth straight 1,000-yard campaign. Pollard’s on pace to achieve that feat, having amassed 265 yards on 68 carries, though he has averaged a career-low 3.8 per rush.
Unfortunately for the Spears-less Titans, they haven’t found a viable backup to Pollard during an 0-4 start. That’s among the reasons they’ve tallied the league’s fourth-fewest rushing yards. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, ranks second on the team with just nine rushing attempts. Fourth-year RB Julius Chestnut has recorded a paltry five carries for 28 yards, while rookie sixth-rounder Kalel Mullings didn’t play an offensive snap in either of his first two games before landing on injured reserve last week.
Because the Titans applied a summer return designation on Spears upon setting their initial 53-man roster, he already counts toward their eight regular-season activations. Seven remain for the winless team.