Can Tony Pollard bounce back in Tennessee after a down year in Dallas?

After spending the first five years of his career in Dallas with the Cowboys, running back Tony Pollard signed with the Tennessee Titans during the offseason. Pollard spent his first few years playing behind Ezekiel Elliott and finally got his opportunity to be the focal point in Dallas’ backfield in 2023.

The Cowboys came away from the season believing he wasn’t meant to be a workhorse RB. Pollard didn’t have a bad season, but he couldn’t build on what he’d accomplished previously.

In 2022, Pollard was a Pro Bowl selection for the first time although he was still splitting time with Elliott. That season Pollard rushed 1,007 yards on 252 carries and started just four games.

Last season as the full-time undisputed RB1, Pollard rushed for 1,005 yards on 252 carries. He also scored three fewer touchdowns than in his Pro Bowl campaign the previous year. This led to the Cowboys concluding that Pollard wasn’t built to be the man by himself.

Dallas reportedly fought for Pollard’s services in free agency although they weren’t willing to offer as much money. That indicates the Cowboys weren’t as serious about retaining Pollard as they’d like you to think.

Now Pollard is with the Titans in the AFC South. Of course, he’d love to prove everyone wrong, but it looks like Pollard will be right back in a tandem backfield splitting carries like most of his tenure in Dallas.

"We're going to use those guys plenty all across the formation, in the pass game and in the run game," Titans head coach Brian Callahan explained . "They're fun tools to have because they can do so many different things. The biggest key is just making sure that you get them the run, especially early in the game."

While Pollard is coming off back-to-back 1,000 rushing campaigns, that milestone isn’t held in as high regard as it once was around the NFL. Nowadays it feels like if a RB isn’t approaching 1,100 or more yards per season you barely hear about them.

Pollard finished 12th in rushing yards last season and 16th  the year prior. Even with the position being as devalued as it has, if Pollard wants to approach that upper echelon, he’ll have to crack the top 10 at the least.

This season represents a new beginning for Pollard and a chance to show folks he’s got what it takes. Although it looks like he’ll split time, Pollard’s counterpart in the Titans backfield, Tyjae Spears is a 2023 third-round pick out of Tulane.

Spears showed promise in his rookie year rushing for 4.5 yards per carry, but with Pollard being the veteran back, you’d expect Tennessee to lean on his experience a little more heavily.