Spears (ankle) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports.
This is likely just maintenance for the ankle injury that sent Spears to injured reserve for Weeks 1-4. He returned this past Sunday to play 26 percent of offensive snaps in a 22-21 win at Arizona, taking four carries for 14 yards and finishing without a target on a 26 percent route share. Spears could earn more work as the year progresses, but Tony Pollard has a strong case to remain the lead runner and also get a decent chunk of the pass snaps. The Titans head to Las Vegas this weekend for a matchup between last-place teams.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Week 6 Waiver Priority List
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Spears did little in his 2025 debut with four carries for 14 yards and no targets in Week 5 at Arizona. He missed the first four games of the season with an ankle injury, so he was likely shaking off the rust. Spears will continue to play behind Tony Pollard, and Spears should get more work as the season goes on. He's a good running back to stash on your bench heading into Week 6 against the Raiders for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Four carries in 2025 debut
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Spears rushed the ball four times for 14 yards in Sunday's 22-21 win over the Cardinals.
Spears was activated from injured reserve and able to suit up for the first time in 2025 after recovering from an ankle injury. He unsurprisingly worked as the clear backup to Tony Pollard, managing a pair of five-yard gains on his four carries. Spears could see his role expand as the season progresses.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Returns to action Sunday
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Spears (ankle) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
Spears, who was sidelined for the first four weeks of the season due to a high right-ankle sprain that he suffered Aug. 9, was activated from IR on Saturday after being limited in practice all week and carried a 'questionable' tag into Sunday's contest. It remains to been how much volume he'll see in his return to Tennessee's backfield, but either way, his presence figures to allow the team to spell fellow RB Tony Pollard more often going forward. During the 2024 regular season, Spears recorded 84 carries for 312 yards and four TDs and 30 catches (on 35 targets) for 224 yards and a score in 12 games, while Pollard logged 260 carries and 41 catches in 16 contests.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Trending toward playing vs. Cards
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Spears (ankle) is expected to play against the Cardinals on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Spears started the season on injured reserve due to a high right-ankle sprain that he suffered in early August. He was activated from IR on Saturday after being limited in practice all week, and the 2023 third-rounder is expected to make his 2025 debut in Arizona. Spears' official status may not be known until the Titans announce their list of inactive players about 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff, but if he does suit up he'll serve as the team's top backup out of the backfield behind Tony Pollard while Julius Chestnut serves as the RB3. Spears finished the 2024 regular season with 84 carries for 312 yards and four touchdowns and 30 catches (on 35 targets) for 224 yards and a score across 12 games.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Off IR, still questionable
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The Titans activated Spears (ankle) from injured reserve Saturday, but he remains questionable for Sunday's game at Arizona, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.
Spears' 2025 debut was delayed due to a high right-ankle sprain that he suffered in Tennessee's preseason opener, resulting in him spending the first four games of the campaign on injured reserve. After his practice window opened earlier this week, he proceeded to be limited on all three Week 5 injury reports, which was enough for him to have a chance to return to action Sunday. Spears' status will be confirmed about 90 minutes before a 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Questionable for Sunday, still on IR
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Spears (ankle), who currently is on injured reserve, is listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Arizona, John Glennon of NashvillePost.com reports.
Spears sustained a high right-ankle sprain during the Titans' preseason opener on Aug. 9 and eventually was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return on Aug. 26. After missing the minimum four games on IR, he got back on the practice field Wednesday as a limited participant and has mixed into drills in the team's ensuing two sessions. Coach Brian Callahan told Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site on Friday that Spears had a good week of practice, but in order for the RB to play this weekend, Tennessee will need to activate him from IR by 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Limited in return to practice
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Spears (ankle) was officially limited in Wednesday's practice, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
The Titans officially moved Spears to the designated-to-return-to-practice list Wednesday, so it's unsurprising to see him with a cap on his activity level as he practices for the first time since suffering a high-ankle sprain in August. Per John Glennon of NashvillePost.com, Spears said he's taking it one day at a time in regards to the possibility of his playing Sunday against Arizona. Before being eligible to suit up, Tennessee will have to officially activate Spears from IR. At that point, he'll join Tony Pollard atop the team's backfield.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Designated to return to practice
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Spears (ankle) was designated to return from injured reserve Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
The designation opens up a three-week window for Spears, who remains on IR, to practice with the team. In the meantime, he won't count against the team's 53-man roster, but barring any setbacks, Spears -- who is eligible to return to practice Wednesday -- is moving toward bolstering the Titans backfield, which has been led by Tony Pollard through the first four weeks of the season.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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Spears (ankle) is eligible to make his season debut in Week 5 at Arizona, and hopefully, he's healthy. He'll work in tandem with Tony Pollard, and Spears could become a weekly flex option in all leagues. It might not be pretty because Tennessee's offense is brutal, but Spears might provide a much-needed spark. He's worth adding for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Week 3 Waiver Priority List
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Spears (ankle) is on the injured reserve/designated for return list and is out for at least two more games. The earliest he could return is Week 5, but it might be time to stash him if you have an open roster spot. And he should be stashed in all leagues if you have an IR spot. When healthy, Spears will share touches with Tony Pollard, and Spears could become a weekly flex option in all leagues when healthy. He's worth adding for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Placed on IR/designated for return
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The Titans officially placed Spears (ankle) on the injured reserve/designated for return list Tuesday.
The move ensures that Spears, who has been managing a high-ankle sprain, will miss at least the first four games of the regular season. Tony Pollard will lead the team's backfield, with Julius Chestnut and Kalel Mullings (ankle) left to handle complementary snaps in Spears' absence, though it's possible that the Titans will add another running back from among other teams' cut-downs.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Dealing with ankle sprain
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Spears was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in Saturday's 29-7 preseason loss to the Buccaneers, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.
Spears had to be carted off the field after injuring his ankle in the first half. Per Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com, Spears is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks, which puts him in jeopardy of missing the Titans' regular-season opener against the Broncos on Sunday, Sept. 7. In Spears' absence, Julius Chestnut and Kalel Mullings will have the opportunity to audition for a potential RB2 role behind Tony Pollard, who may have to take on a bigger workload at the start of the regular season.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Leaves stadium on crutches
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Spears (ankle) boarded the Titans' team bus on crutches and in a walking boot after Saturday's loss to Tampa Bay, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports.
Spears needed a cart to get to the locker room after suffering a right leg injury in the first half of Saturday's preseason opener. After the game, head coach Brian Callahan said Spears likely has an ankle injury but will need further evaluation, per Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com, and Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports that the running back's initial diagnosis is a high-ankle sprain. If Spears has an injury that carries over into the regular season, Julius Chestnut and/or Kalel Mullings could be asked to step into a bigger role. In addition, Tony Pollard would likely need to shoulder a bigger-than-planned workload -- there had been some talk during the offseason and preseason that the pair could work in a more even split compared to last year.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Motivated for Year 3
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Titans coach Brian Callahan said during mandatory minicamp that Spears has "had an unbelievable offseason" and that he's "really excited to see what he can bring to us this year because he's been in a great place," Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.
Spears has been a full participant at offseason activities after battling ankle and hamstring injuries in 2024, in addition to two concussions, the latter of which forced him to sit out Week 18. The 2023 third-round pick wrapped 2024 with just 312 yards and four touchdowns on 84 carries across 12 regular-season appearances, plus 31 catches for 226 yards and another score. Spears said he's motivated to "be as consistent as I can be" in 2025 and focusing on "doing more things toward being a better teammate." At full health, it wouldn't be inaccurate to call Spears one of the league's most elusive runners, so as long as he's able to stay on the field, he'll have a path to emerge as a meaningful playmaker alongside Tony Pollard. Callahan said in May that his plan for 2025 is to deploy a more even backfield split between Pollard and Spears that allows the two to "play a little more evenly," and the team seems a strong candidate to build its offense around the ground game in Cam Ward's rookie season.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Sits out walk-through
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Spears (concussion) didn't participate in Wednesday's walk-through practice, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
On Monday, head coach Brian Callahan noted that he wasn't optimistic about Spears' chances of playing in Week 18 against the Texans, after the running back left this past Sunday's 20-13 loss to the Jaguars upon suffering his second concussion in under two months. Meanwhile, Tony Pollard (ankle) -- who was inactive in Week 17 -- was limited in practice Wednesday. If neither Spears nor Pollard are available versus Houston this weekend, Julius Chestnut would be in line to see an expanded role, with Joshua Kelley and Jabari Small offering added depth out of the backfield.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Unlikely to play
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Titans head coach Brian Callahan suggested Wednesday that Spears (concussion) is unlikely to play Sunday against the Texans, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.
When asked about the makeup of the Tennessee backfield for the season finale, Callahan didn't mention Spears, instead noting that Julis Chestnut, Joshua Kelley and Jabari Small likely would form a committee if Tony Pollard (ankle) was inactive. The implication is that Spears isn't expected to play, after suffering his second concussion of the season during this past Sunday's loss to the Jaguars.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Pessimism about Week 18 status
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Tennessee head coach Brian Callahan hasn't expressed optimism about Spears' (concussion) likelihood of suiting up Sunday versus Houston, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Spears worked as the Titans' lead back this past Sunday versus Jacksonville but was forced to exit the game late in the third quarter. He'd need to clear the NFL's five-step concussion protocol in order to suit up Week 18, and that may be unlikely to happen at this point. Tony Pollard (ankle/illness) could return for the season finale, but if both Spears and Pollard are out, Julius Chestnut and Joshua Kelley likely will be tasked with leading the Titans backfield.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Week 18 in jeopardy
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Spears (concussion) rushed the ball 20 times for 95 yards in Sunday's 20-13 loss to Jacksonville. He added three receptions on four targets for eight yards.
Spears worked as the lead back in Tennessee's offense with Tony Pollard (ankle/illness) sidelined, and he showed the ability to handle that workload for most of the game. He ripped off long gains of 23 and 12 yards, though his day was ultimately cut short when he suffered a concussion in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Per Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site, Spears' status in Week 18 is in jeopardy, though there's no official word at this point.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Set to fill in for Pollard
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With Tony Pollard (ankle/illness) ruled out, per Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site, Spears is slated to see an expanded role Sunday against the Jaguars.
In the absence of Pollard, Spears is slated to lead Tennessee's backfield, with Julius Chestnut and Joshua Kelley available to mix in. Spears, who carried 10 times for 27 yards and two touchdowns and caught three of his four targets for 39 yards in a 38-30 loss to the Colts last weekend on a 61 percent snap share, is thus in a position to absorb some of Pollard's workload versus Jacksonville, a context that boosts his fantasy upside in Week 17.
