Spears (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest versus the Patriots.
Spears followed up a limited practice Wednesday with no work Thursday and Friday, which was enough for the Titans to rule him out for a third straight contest. Meanwhile, starting RB Tony Pollard (foot) didn't log any activity this week but is listed as questionable for Sunday. If Pollard doesn't play, Julius Chestnut will be the favorite to lead Tennessee's backfield, with Joshua Kelley likely getting called up from the practice squad for a backup role.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Misses Thursday's practice
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Spears (hamstring) didn't practice Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Spears was a limited participant in Wednesday's session, so his downgrade in participation a day later is concerning. Meanwhile, Tony Pollard has missed consecutive practices with a foot injury, leaving Julius Chestnut as the healthiest RB on the Titans' active roster, while Joshua Kelley and Jabari Small currently are on the team's practice squad. In any case, Friday's injury report will add valuable context with regard to the composition of Tennessee's backfield ahead of Sunday game against the Patriots.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Limited practice Wednesday
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Spears (hamstring) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Spears has missed the Titans' last two games, but head coach Brian Callahan noted Wednesday that the running back "should be good to go" Sunday against the Patriots, per Wyatt. While Spears seemingly has a good chance to play this weekend, it's notable that fellow running back Tony Pollard missed Wednesday' session with a foot injury. The activity of both of the Titans' top two running backs will thus warrant monitoring over the next two days before Tennessee determines whether either or both carries an injury designation into Sunday's game.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Week 9 Waiver Priority List
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Spears (hamstring) could return in Week 9 against the Patriots, and he's worth rostering in all leagues for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB. He missed the past two games after hurting his hamstring in Week 6 against the Colts. Prior to going down, Spears had scored at least 10.1 PPR points in consecutive games against Green Bay and Miami while working in tandem with Tony Pollard. Spears will resume that role when healthy, and he's also a lottery ticket in case something happens to Pollard. Spears is a good running back to stash on your bench when healthy.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Week 9 Adds (RB Preview)
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How bad is the running back waiver wire this week? The top guy is currently not being projected to play this week. But if Spears is able to get healthy, he'll face a Patriots defense that has given up the second-most Fantasy points to opposing running backs. He had 17 touches in his last full game, and the Titans are favorites, so this could be a game they lean on both running backs.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Questionable after three LPs
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Spears (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions.
Spears logged three consecutive limited practices as he tries to limit his absence due to this injury to just one game. If Spears suits up, he would likely return to a change-of-pace role behind Tony Pollard.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Remains limited Thursday
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Spears (hamstring) was a limited participant during Thursday's practice session, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Spears injured his hamstring during the Titans' Week 6 loss to the Colts. He was unable to practice all of last week which led to him being sidelined for Week 7 against the Bills, but the 2023 third-round pick managed to return to practice Wednesday. The fact that Spears has been able to participate in back-to-back practices to open the week is a positive trend, and Friday's injury report should provide a better idea of whether he'll be able to play Sunday against the Lions. If Spears cannot play, Julius Chestnut would serve as the Titans' backup running back Sunday while Tony Pollard serves in a lead role.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Begins week with limited practice
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Spears (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Spears took a step in the right direction after missing three straight practices leading up to his absence in this past Sunday's loss to the Bills. If Spears ultimately gains clearance to suit up Sunday in Detroit, he would likely reclaim a change-of-pace role behind Tony Pollard in Tennessee's backfield.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Stashes (RB Preview)
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Even if Spears is just a backup when he comes back, he's one of the most electric backups in the league. This is exactly the type of player who should be rostered in most leagues because he's one injury away from being a must-start running back in all formats.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Won't play Sunday
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Spears (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bills, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Spears will thus target a potential return to action Oct. 27 against the Lions. In his absence Sunday, Tony Pollard is in line to log the bulk of the Titans' Week 7 work at running back, with Julius Chestnut and potentially practice squad member Joshua Kelley also mixing in.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Another missed practice
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Spears (hamstring) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Spears, who also missed Wednesday's session, has one more chance to practice ahead of Sunday's game against the Bills. If Spears is unable to play this weekend, offensive coordinator Nick Holz told Wyatt on Thursday that Tony Pollard would likely get bulk of the Titans' work at running back, with Julius Chestnut and possibly Joshua Kelley also mixing in.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Injures hamstring Sunday
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Spears departed Sunday's game against the Colts due to a hamstring injury, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.
Prior to his exit in the third quarter, Spears posted six carries for 27 yards and wasn't targeted. Tony Pollard and Julius Chestnut are the Titans' healthy running backs for the time being.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Week 6 Adds (RB Preview)
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Spears scored double-digit PPR Fantasy points in each of his last two games before the Titans Week 5 bye. In Week 6 they face a Colts defense that has surrendered the fourth-most rushing yards to opposing running backs. View Spears like Bigsby, as a weekly flex with contingent upside if Tony Pollard misses time.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Questionable for Sunday
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Spears (ankle) is slated to be listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Packers, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Spears didn't practice Wednesday but returned to a limited session a day later, and per Turron Davenport of ESPN.com, coach Brian Callahan expects the running back to be available this weekend. If that ends up being the case, Spears would be in line to continue to work alongside Tony Pollard in the Titans' Week 3 backfield.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Back at practice
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Spears (ankle) returned to practice Thursday, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.
Spears didn't practice Wednesday, but his return to the field a day later isn't surprising, given his previous assertion that he'd be available Sunday against the Packers, per John Glennon of NashvillePost.com. That notion would be further solidified if Spears is listed as a full participant in Thursday's session.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Not seen at practice
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Spears (ankle) wasn't spotted on the field during the media-access portion of Wednesday's practice, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Head coach Brian Callahan said earlier this week that Spears was "day-to-day" with an ankle issue that's not believed to be serious, but the running back's absence from the early portion of Wednesday's session makes his status worth monitoring. If Spears is limited or out Sunday against the Packers, Tony Pollard would be in line for a larger portion of the backfield snaps and touches.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Ankle injury seems minor
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Spears (ankle) avoided a major injury during the Titans' 24-17 loss to the Jets on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Spears rushed six times for 20 yards and caught two of his three targets for 11 yards before being forced off the field Sunday. Though Rapoport didn't offer more details about Spears' injury, it's encouraging that the second-year pro had dodged a major ankle issue. Spears will look to get back on the practice field in preparation for Tennessee's matchup against the Packers in Week 3, with the team's first official injury report slated to arrive Wednesday. Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports that head coach Brian Callahan called Spears "day-to-day" on Monday.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Short end of committee
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Spears rushed the ball four times for 21 yards in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Bears. He added four receptions on four targets for 11 yards.
The Titans insisted they would run an evenly split backfield between Spears and Tony Pollard to begin the season, but that didn't come to fruition. Pollard got each of the first eight carries for the team, while Spears didn't manage a carry until early in second quarter -- Tennessee's fourth possession. Spears did enter the game in obvious passing situations and as a breather back but ultimately saw 11 fewer touches than Pollard and played 11 fewer offensive snaps, per Turron Davenport of ESPN.com.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Even split coming for Week 1
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Spears is expected to split snaps evenly with Tony Pollard in the Titans' Week 1 matchup against the Bears, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.
The Titans have consistently stated that Spears and Pollard are viewed as interchangeable, and offensive coordinator Nick Holz reiterated that again Wednesday. He did note that both backs have plays specifically installed in the offense for them, with preseason usage suggesting that the team prefers Pollard in short-yardage situations. That could hurt Spears' ability to find the end zone, though he'll likely have the opportunity to make up for that with his playmaking ability as a pass catcher.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Sees four touches to Pollard's six
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Spears rushed three times for two yards and a touchdown and caught his only target for two yards in Saturday's 17-13 preseason win over the Titans.
Tony Pollard was the first back deployed in Saturday's exhibition, but Spears had his touches mixed in with the first-unit offense. The 23-year-old didn't do much with his four touches in comparison to co-starter Pollard (6-46-0), but he was able to cash in a short touchdown run behind a revamped offensive line. Both backs should continue to get plenty of run this preseason as they jockey for position atop Tennessee's depth chart.