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The Titans bought Tony Pollard's stock at the perfect time and here's why
Denny Simmons / The Tennessean-USA TODAY NETWORK

The Titans bought Tony Pollard's stock at the perfect time and here's why

Originally posted on A to Z Sports  |  By Sam Phalen  |  Last updated 3/14/24

Derrick Henry is a Baltimore Raven. That's the difficult reality that Tennessee Titans fans are facing. Replacing a franchise legend like Henry is a tall task, but the Titans are in good hands with Tyjae Spears and the recently signed Tony Pollard.

Pollard has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in each of the last two seasons, but the 26-year-old running back was less efficient in 2023 than his breakout 2022 season.

But Titans fans shouldn't worry. There is good reason to believe the Titans are buying Pollard's stock at the perfect time.

Pollard's ankle injury

Pollard both broke his left leg and suffered a high ankle sprain in a playoff loss with the Dallas Cowboys in January of 2023. He was rolled up on after being tackled late in the second quarter and entered the locker room in a boot and on crutches.

Pollard was back from his injury and ready to play by Week 1 of the 2023 season, but he did not look like his old self right away. As the year progressed, however, Pollard returned to form.

From Weeks 1-10 in 2023, Pollard had the 34th best PFF run grade. From Week 11 and beyond, he was the NFL's highest rated running back. And that's not the only aspect of his game that improved late in the season. 

Pollard went from 39th in broken tackle rate to 7th in broken tackle rate. He started making defenders miss three times more in the last eight weeks of the season. His success rate, first down rate, and EPA/play also saw drastic increases. The further removed Pollard got from his ankle injury, the more dominant he was in 2023.

Second year after injury

With any significant lower body injury, it can take some time to truly get back to 100 percent. The Titans saw that with Harold Landry III in 2023, who was returning from a torn ACL.

I think the same case could be made for Pollard. Bouncing back from a high ankle sprain that required surgery and broken leg into the largest workload of your NFL career is a lot to handle. Pollard had always split carries with Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas. In 2023, he was the primary back.

I think the version of Pollard we saw towards the end of 2023 is the version we'll see with the Titans in 2024. He should be back to 100 percent after the injury, and splitting carries with Tyjae Spears will allow him to keep his legs fresh. That makes this the perfect time for Tennessee to buy Tony Pollard stock.

"It's big. Any big injury that guys have, it normally takes a year. That second year is when you see that come back around and guys get back to their true form," said Pollard when I asked him about being over one year removed from his ankle injury. "I'm ready to show what I can do, ready to show what I can bring to this team and contribute."

I'm not expecting Pollard to lead the league in rushing. Just the fact that he'll be splitting carries with Tyjae Spears makes it hard for him to even crack the Top 10. But with the trajectory Pollard seemed to be on at the end of the 2023 season and the fresh legs he'll have throughout 2024, we could see him return to prime form.

If Pollard gets back to averaging over five yards per carry like he was in 2021 and 2022, the Titans run game is going to be dynamic and dangerous. 

For $21 million over three years and a $4 million cap hit in 2024, that's a great investment by the Titans with potential for big ROI. They bought Pollard's stock at the right time.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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