Tyjae Spears injury: Titans RB to miss the rest of preseason due to high ankle sprain
The Titans were hopeful Spears would take on a bigger workload in the backfield with Tony Pollard
By
Bryan DeArdo
•
1 min read
Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears will miss the rest of the preseason after suffering a high ankle sprain during Saturday's game against the Green Bay Packers. Spears dealt with injuries for much of the 2024 season, and Titans coach Brian Callahan told reporters Sunday that the third-year back will "miss a couple weeks at least" and hopes he will be able to play in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 7.
Spears sustained the injury during the first half of Saturday's eventual loss to the Packers. After catching a 13-yard pass, Spears limped off the field before he was carted into the locker room. He was seen using crutches after the game with a walking boot on his right foot.
The 24-year-old, a third-round pick in the 2023 draft, dealt with multiple injuries last year. Spears was limited to 12 games while dealing with two concussions, an ankle sprain and a hamstring injury.
As a rookie, Spears rushed for 453 yards and two touchdowns and also caught 52 passes for 385 yards and a score. He tallied 536 total yards and five touchdowns last season.
While Spears is the Titans' No. 2 running back, the expectation has been that he would have a bigger role this season while teaming up with Tony Pollard in the Tennessee backfield. But if Spears' injury lingers, that would lead to a bigger workload Pollard, a former Pro Bowler with the Cowboys who rushed for a career-high 1,079 yards last season -- his first with the Titans.
In the short term, Spears' injury will create more opportunities for fellow backups Kalel Mullings and Julius Chestnut. A rookie, Mullings rushed for 948 yards and 12 touchdowns during his final season at Michigan. A four-year veteran, Chestnut had 22 carries last season after getting just nine regular season carries during his first two years in Nashville.
