Evans Back on IR; Won't Be Back This Season
NASHVILLE – Darrynton Evans is done for the season.
The Tennessee Titans placed the second-year running back on injured reserve Friday with a knee injury. The 2020 third-round pick out of Appalachian State spent the first six games of the season on IR and had been on the active roster for less than week.
Under NFL rules, a second trip to IR means that Evans is ineligible to return this season.
As a result, Evans is now guaranteed to miss 26 of 32 games over hist first two NFL seasons. He missed eight games while on injured reserve as a rookie and was inactive for three others due to a hamstring injury.
In the games he has played, Evans has rushed for 61 yards on 16 carries and has caught four passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. He also has returned 10 kickoffs for an average of 22.3 yards.
In his only appearance of this season (Sunday against Kansas City), he rushed two times for seven yards, caught two passes for 11 yards and returned one kickoff for 17 yards – all in just six snaps of offense and two on special teams.
The Titans drafted the 5-foot-10, 203-pound Evans with the idea that he would be a change-of-pace from power running of Derrick Henry and provide a more polished and dynamic receiving option out of the backfield. Instead, injuries have been almost a constant.
Without him, Tennessee will continue to lean on Jeremy McNichols, who is second on the team with 18 receptions for 170 yards and one touchdown and third in rushing with 38 yards on seven attempts.
There also is the possibility for undrafted rookie Mekhi Sargent, released last week to make room for Evans and subsequently signed to the practice squad, to return to the active roster.
