Tennessee Native Tony Pollard Excited to Return Home
Despite A Pair of 1000-Yard Seasons, the 2024 Tony Pollard Season Odds Have the Titans RB A Bit Undervalued
- Pollard Replaces Henry: Tony Pollard joins the Tennessee Titans to replace Derrick Henry after back-to-back 1000-yard seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.
- Titans’ Struggles: Tennessee finished last in the AFC South in 2023 and faces long odds to win the Super Bowl in 2024.
- Draft Picks Aid Pollard: The Titans’ recent first-round picks of offensive linemen could benefit Pollard, but the team’s overall weak roster is a concern.
Pollard Leaves the Dallas Cowboys and Looks to Replace Henry in Tennessee
Other than being brought in from Dallas to replace one of the best running backs in the NFL, there isn’t much pressure on Tony Pollard heading into the 2024 season. After back-to-back 1000-yard seasons with the Cowboys, the 2024 Tony Pollard season odds could see him approach that number again.
Tennessee finished last in the AFC South during the 2023 season thanks to just one road win and a 1-5 record in division play. It will take some work for the rebuilding Titans to finish ahead of the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, or Indianapolis Colts in the 2024 AFC South Division race.
When looking at the NFL playoffs odds, Tennessee is priced at +15000 to win the Super Bowl.
The good news is that Pollard won’t have the distraction of facing the Dallas Cowboys team that he spent his first five NFL seasons with as he left the Cowboys to sign a three-year $24 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.
The regular season begins on Sept. 8 with the Titans listed as a 4.5-point underdog on the road against the Chicago Bears.
Keep reading for more on the newest running back for the Tennessee Titans.
Pollard No Stranger To Replacing A Star Runner
Pollard handled things pretty well as he replaced Ezekiel Elliott, one of the most productive running backs in the history of the Dallas Cowboys franchise.
Pollard displayed his potential with 100-yard games in wins over the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams as a rookie in 2019. He started to cut into the workload for Elliott during the 2021 season when he ran 130 times for 719 yards. Pollard had four 100-yard games over the last two seasons.
Pollard added a career-high 55 catches during the 2023 season so he could be an option in the passing game as well. That could impact the 2024 Tony Pollard season odds.
Nobody is expecting Pollard who had 139 carries and 104 receptions in his three seasons at Memphis to be the second coming of Henry, one of the most punishing runners in the NFL. Henry signed a two-year, $16 million contract with Baltimore. That move came after the Titans signed Pollard to signal the end of Henry’s time in Tennessee.
#Titans HC Brian Callahan continues to be high on both Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears
Callahan talking up Spears’ route-running ability then later pointing out “all the different ways you can get them the ball in the screen game, in the passing game” is another sign of how… pic.twitter.com/89fHpuXNqx
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) May 21, 2024
There are 34 players with shorter odds to be the NFL Offensive Player of the Year as 2024 Tony Pollard season odds have Pollard is tied with receivers DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks, Nico Collins of the Houston Texans, and Rashee Rice of the Kansas City Chiefs as well as running backs Rachaad White of Tampa Bay and Raheem Mostert of the Miami Dolphins at +7000 in the Offensive Player of the Year odds.
However, being able to run the ball consistently will be a huge bonus for a Tennessee team that is turning the keys of the offense over to second-year quarterback Will Levis.
Pollard Happy to Come Home
Pollard grew up in Memphis and played his college ball in his hometown.
Memphis was 26-14 in the three years that Pollard was one of the key offensive players with the Tigers. With future NFL running backs Patrick Taylor and Darrell Henderson on the team, Pollard was utilized more as a change-of-pace back. He would often line up as a wide receiver. In his final season at Memphis, he was tied for 12th among Football Bowl Subdivision players with 667 yards on kickoff returns.
Pollard was taken with the 128th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
With rumors about Henry heading elsewhere, Tennessee didn’t have to look far to see an option and one that grew up in Tennessee.
The other running backs on the roster are Julius Chestnut (nine career carries), Hassan Haskins (25 carries as a rookie), rookies Dillon Johnson and Jabari Small, and Tyjae Spears (100 carries as a rookie).
With Pollard likely to be the starter, he is priced at +8000 to lead the NFL in rushing yards. He is well back in the NFL MVP odds.
The good news is that Tennessee used first-round picks in 2023 and 2024 to take offensive linemen Peter Skoronski out of Northwestern and JC Latham out of Alabama. That could factor into the 2024 Tony Pollard season odds. A concern is that Tennessee’s roster might be one of the worst in the NFL and if Tennessee is playing from behind, that could limit the number of his rushing attempts.
Titans Have Some Work to Do
Tennessee finished first or second in the AFC South four times from 2017 to 2021 with four playoff appearances during that stretch. Tennessee played in the 2019 AFC Championship Game. The following year, Henry was the Offensive Player of the Year and in 2021, Mike Vrabel was the Coach of the Year.
Henry and Vrabel are both gone.
Only the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and the Carolina Panthers have longer odds to win the Super Bowl than the Titans at +15000. Tennessee’s odds of winning the AFC championship range from +6000 to +8000.
The Titans are priced at +800 to win the AFC South after posting back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in nearly a decade. Tennessee had -110 odds the last time that the Titans won a division title.
A quick peek at the NFL schedule 2024 shows that Tennessee faces four teams that made the 2023 playoffs in the first seven games of the 2024 season.
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