Tag: Pollard

The Tennessee Titans are once again in danger of not having their best playmaker on offense for the Week 17 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, as running back Tony Pollard is questionable to play.

Pollard was on the injury report with an ankle issue once again this week, and he did not practice at all, either. However, as we’ve seen on multiple occasions this year, Pollard can play with little to no practice all week.

But a new issue has popped up for Pollard that has put his Week 17 status in serious doubt. Here’s the latest on the Titans running back’s chances of playing against Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon.

Tony Pollard injury update

UPDATE: The Titans have announced that Pollard has officially been ruled out for the Week 17 contest, which will leave Tyjae Spears as the lead back on Sunday.

Titans downgraded RB Tony Pollard (ankle, illness) to out for Sunday’s game vs. the Jaguars.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 28, 2024

END OF UPDATE

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Pollard is now battling the flu, which puts his status in doubt for Sunday. Fowler adds that Pollard was expected to play through the ankle issue, but the flu has cast doubt on his ability to suit up.

“Titans RB Tony Pollard has the flu, jeopardizing his status for Sunday at Jacksonville, per source,” Fowler reported. “He is not expected to travel with the team today. He was on the injury report with an ankle issue but had planned to play through that.”

Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky offered a different perspective on Pollard, with his report stating that the Titans were going to shut the running back down because of his ankle injury, so it looks like he might not have played, anyway.

“Titans actually shut down Tony Pollard for looming ankle issue he’d been pushing through. Flu popped up today on top of it,” Kuharsky wrote.

Fellow Titans beat writer, AtoZ Sports’ Easton Freeze, echoed Kuharsky’s report on Pollard being shut down for this week, regardless of the flu.

“Pollard wasn’t going to go this week because of his ankle injury anyways,” Freeze reported. “The Flu isn’t the thing keeping him from playing, just an added part of it. He’s been fighting through a really painful ankle injury for weeks now.

“His status in Week 18 is in question, though if he can grit it out to reach the incentives he’s near, I’d imagine he will.”

Who is Tony Pollard’s handcuff?

At this point, fantasy football managers should be making other plans, and one of those plans could be backup running back Tyjae Spears, who will handle the bulk of the work out of the backfield if Pollard sits.

Spears posted 10 carries for 27 yards and scored two touchdowns while also adding three receptions for 39 yards last week when Pollard was limited to 10 touches. He is absolutely a viable flex play in a soft matchup against the Jags.