Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard. Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Titans kick off post-Derrick Henry era with splashy free-agent addition

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 3/11/24

If there was even a slight glimmer of hope that Derrick Henry would possibly return to the Tennessee Titans, it was crushed on Monday morning.

According to KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson , the Titans are expected to sign former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard once free agency officially begins on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. It’s a three-year, $24 million deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Dallas Cowboys were in on RB Tony Pollard. The Giants and Vikings had their eye on him too. He took the bigger payday with Tennessee, per sources.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 11, 2024

Pollard is a dual-threat running back who adds versatility as a pass catcher — something the Cincinnati Bengals did quite a bit when Titans head coach Brian Callahan was their offensive coordinator.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon averaged 51.6 targets, 42 receptions and 311.2 receiving yards per season and scored 12 touchdowns during Callahan’s tenure in Cincinnati. Pollard filled a similar role during his time in Dallas.

The 26-year-old rushed for back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons during his two years as the Cowboys’ starter, and he averaged 45.6 targets and 35.2 receptions per season.

Though he’s rushed for 1,007 and 1,005 yards, respectively, over the last two years, Pollard has had just one season with more than 200 carries as a lead back. It appears the Titans plan to use him and second-year back Tyjae Spears in a 1A-1B situation.

The 22-year-old Spears had a solid rookie season while splitting time with Henry, logging 453 yards rushing on 100 carries and 385 yards receiving on 52 receptions (70 targets).

Tony Pollard gained 819 yards after contact in 2023, 3rd-most in the NFL.

Pollard joins a Titans team that saw their running backs contacted behind the line of scrimmage on 46.7% of their carries last season, the 6th-highest rate in the NFL.#Titans https://t.co/9hgeUDILpd pic.twitter.com/Tca9RtPGAb
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 11, 2024

While he’s not Henry, Pollard also is quite good at racking up yards after contact. Seventy-six percent of his rushing yards in 2023 came after contact (760 of 1,005 yards), which is comparable to Henry’s 79.6% (930 of 1,167 yards).

Pollard also had similar numbers to Henry in several other categories including runs of 10 or more yards (22 to 23), missed tackles forced (47 to 57), first downs via run (60 to 63) and designed runs of 15 or more yards (11 to 16), per Pro Football Focus.

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