Titans may have found their Derrick Henry successor

“Tyjae is a coachable kid, wants to do it right,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel told reporters after the game. “That was a really cool play. But most importantly, him leaping over the guy and the ball not being away from his body was probably the most impressive.”

The week before that, Spears had a more modest 13-yard scamper against the Chicago Bears, but he showcased great vision to bounce outside, split three defenders and he hit All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson with a Henry-like stiff arm to extend the play.

Through two preseason contests, Spears has 89 yards rushing and a touchdown on 13 carries. Among RBs with 10 or more preseason carries, Spears ranks first in yards per carry (6.8) and yards after contact (5.62), per Pro Football Focus. 

The 5-foot-10, 201-pound Spears averaged 6.8 yards per carry during four years at Tulane, where he rushed for 1,581 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. He may just be the most talented running back the Titans have acquired since drafting Henry 45th overall in 2016.

Although the Titans spent a fourth-round pick on former Michigan star Hassan Haskins a year ago, he’s largely been a disappointment with just 25 carries for 93 yards over 15 games last season. At this point, Haskins has been passed on the depth chart by both Spears and Julius Chestnut, and he just might find himself looking for a new team as roster cutdowns begin.

No running back has more carries since 2019 than Henry’s 1,249. In fact, he has 174 more rushing attempts over that span than the next-closest player Dalvin Cook. Spears’ addition negates the need to hand it to Henry 350-plus times a season while likely extending the former Heisman Trophy winner’s career.

And if the Titans do let Henry test free agency after the 2023 season, then Spears certainly looks like he’s more than capable of taking the torch from the former 2,000-yard rusher.