Tony Pollard / Tyjae Spears Fantasy 2024
The new NFL season will bring many new opportunities, especially for players moving onto different teams. It is a brand-new opportunity for Tony Pollard to reinvent himself. Furthermore, he gets a chance to prove the doubters wrong after signing a new contract with the Tennessee Titans after entering free agency following his final season with the Dallas Cowboys.
Pollard was supposed to have a breakout season and become the full-time running back for the Cowboys last season. Instead, he struggled, unable to capture the magic he conjured when splitting time with Ezekiel Elliot in 2022. Pollard fell to a career-low 4.0 YPC. He also had fewer rushing and receiving yards in 2023 despite getting 59 additional carries (for a total of 252) and 16 more receptions (for 55).
Pollard explained that he was not at his best due to a fibula fracture and a ligament injury in the 2022 Playoffs against the San Francisco 49ers. Regardless, the Cowboys decided not to resign him, and Pollard will now likely split time with Tyjae Spears.
While there are doubts about Pollard and the Titans’ ability to run the ball successfully, it would be foolish to disregard them, especially if you know about Bill Callahan and his ability to create good running games. Now, Callahan has become the offensive line coach of the Titans, and the potential for Pollard is off the charts.
Current Ranks
Pollard currently ranks 26th in our annual draft rankings for non-PPR and is not someone many projects to thrive in this offense. He also ranks 27th in our PPR rankings, with numerous other running backs above him. But Pollard will get a fresh start and be part of a Callahan offense with a history of success.
The Callahan Offense
Callahan has had a long and storied career coaching offenses and ensuring they thrived. When he started his NFL coaching career in 1995, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles. Callahan then helped the Eagles rank second in the NFC in passing while also helping them rank fifth in rushing in 1997. With Callahan under the helm, Ty Detmer passed for 2,911 yards, while Ricky Watters ran for 1,411 yards and 13 touchdowns in the previous season. Waters rushed for over 1,000 yards in all seasons, while Callahan was the offensive line coach.
Callahan was the offensive coordinator from 1998 to 2002 before becoming the head coach in 2002. Amazingly, he helped revitalize the offense and became a sure-fire head coaching decision after the Raiders traded Jon Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Callahan as the head coach, the Raiders shattered the franchise record for total offense with 6,237 yards and 4,689 passing yards. Callahan helped Rich Gannon become an exceptional quarterback. Additionally, he helped Charlie Garner rush for 962 yards and seven touchdowns while catching 91 passes for 941 yards and four scores.
Callahan also served as the offensive line coach and assistant coach for the New York Jets from 2008 to 2011. During his tenure, the Jets’ offense was second in the NFL in rushing yards per game, and his running game helped power the Jets to two consecutive AFC Championship appearances.
In 2009, Thomas Jones rushed 331 times for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns. Ultimately, Callahan was the architect of an offense that generated numerous chances for the running game.
In his next step, Callahan was the offensive line coach for the Cowboys from 2012 to 2014 and helped them finish second in the NFL in rushing (147.1 YPG). DeMarco Murray benefited from this coaching as he erupted for a franchise record with 1,845 yards. Callahan also helped turn Tyron Smith and Zack Martin into All-Pro linemen.
Callahan would make stops in Washington and then with Cleveland. On both occasions, Callahan helped turn their running games around. Significantly, he helped Adrian Peterson rush for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016.
One of Callahan’s greatest accomplishments was coaching Nick Chubb to 1,525 rushing yards in 2022. No matter where he has gone, Callahan has helped turn around every offense he has coached, giving them all a robust and hard-nosed running game.
Fantasy Impact
Pollard has shown some potential, especially in 2022, when he rushed 193 times for 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns while catching 39 times for 371 yards and three scores. After five seasons, we are at a crossroads for Pollard and have yet to see his full potential.
But with this coach, Pollard may finally spring forward, break free, and have a career season. Remember, Pollard is an excellent passing-down back, as is Spears. But Pollard thrived running on sweeps and outside pitches. Pollard has so much potential to succeed in this offense and excel over last season.
The Potential for Pollard
Callahan’s son, Brian Callahan, is the Titans’ head coach and cannot wait to utilize both Pollard and Spears. But Pollard has the edge since he signed a $7 million contract with the Titans and will likely be the 1A of this running back rotation. If we measure Pollard with running backs the senior Callahan has coached in the past, the upside is strong for him, and he can be a steal in your draft.
Many people believe the Titans will struggle this season, especially with darlings like the Houston Texans in their division. However, two dynamic running backs who can run, catch, and pass-block have the potential for fantasy success. Expect Pollard to get great value for his ADP; he could be valuable to your team.
