Tennessee Titans Don’t Think They Will Miss Derrick Henry

The Tennessee Titans lost long-time running back Derrick Henry to the Baltimore Ravens in free agency back in March, but they don’t seem to think their offense will miss him.

The Titans signed Tony Pollard to combat the departure of Henry, and they also really like what second-year back Tyjae Spears brings to the table.

Tennessee is heading into 2024 thinking that the combination of Pollard and Spears will be able to replace Henry’s production, and running backs coach Randy Jordan is ready for it.

“I am really excited to work with them,” Jordan said, via Jim Wyatt of the Titans’ official team website. “I was in the NFC East, and I got to see Mr. T.P. (Pollard) quite a bit. So, when we had the opportunity to get him, I was really excited. I love his skill set, in fact, I love the skill set of both (Pollard) and (Spears).”

Pollard will almost certainly be the featured back, but Jordan is planning on utilizing both Pollard and Spears in different scenarios.

“Both guys, you don’t have to worry about in terms of counting touches in terms of handoffs, running the ball,” Jordan said. “Because they can both catch the ball fairly well out of the backfield. So, in that respect, I am not counting touches in terms of rushes. I’m counting, ‘Hey, you got 10 rushes, but you also got six catches, and that’s a total of 16.’ And I think they’re getting a really good feel for each other on and off the field.”

Pollard is coming off of a 2023 campaign with the Dallas Cowboys in which he rushed for 1,005 yards and six touchdowns while averaging four yards per carry. He also hauled in 55 receptions for 311 yards.

Meanwhile, Spears had a decent rookie season, registering 453 yards and a couple of scores while logging 4.5 yards per attempt. In addition, he caught 52 passes for 385 yards and a touchdown.

Will the duo be able to replicate what Henry did for so long in Tennessee? Well, probably not peak Henry, but they should have the wherewithal to match what Henry did in 2023.

Henry totaled 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rusher last season, recording 4.2 yards per tote. He wasn’t particularly efficient, especially when compared to previous years, but his ability to wear down opposing defenses remained.

The thing is, Henry is now 30 years old, so it didn’t make much sense for either side to continue the union. Henry wants to win a Super Bowl, and the Titans are looking to rebuild.

Meanwhile, Pollard just turned 27, and Spears is only 22.

We’ll see if the Pollard-Spears duo can make Tennessee forget about Derrick Henry in 2024.