Titans RB Room Dealt Another Crucial Blow

The Tennessee Titans have already struggled to get their run game going, so the last thing they needed was a second RB on the IR. That proved to be their fate on September 26 when Kalel Mullings was placed on injured reserve due to an ankle injury.

Titans' Jim Wyatt describes it as a "lingering ankle injury", one that has prevented him from making any sort of impact in the 2025 season. Tennessee's No. 188 overall pick has yet to record a carry this season. That said, he was on the field against the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.

Mullings' IR stint comes close to when the team is able to welcome back Tyjae Spears. Spears, who went on the IR prior to the season, also was dealing with an ankle injury. The 24-year-old will be a fantastic change-of-pace back from Pollard, something the team has struggled to find amid his absence.

#Titans place RB Kalel Mullings on IR. He'll be out for four weeks at least. I'd imagine Tyjae Spears has his window to return opened soon.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) September 26, 2025

Heading into Week 4, Pollard leads the way with 54 carries for 197 yards. The next closest is RB Julius Chestnut with just four carries for 28 yards. WR Chimere Dike has been involved with the run game, five carries for 21 yards. Then, it's rookie QB Cam Ward with seven attempts for 20 yards. Ward is far from a dual-threat QB, and the last thing this team needs is to have to rely on him to move the ball in both the air and on the ground.

Pollard has done everything in his power to make the best out of the situation at hand. His 3.6 yards per attempt is on pace to be the lowest of his career, a number that directly coincides with the absence of OT JC Latham. Once again, Latham has been ruled out for Week 4.

Tennessee's one-dimensional run game has allowed Ward to feel even more pressure. The Titans No. 1 overall pick is currently 54/99 for 506 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He hadn't thrown a pick until last week, a costly one at that. The Colts immediately took Ward to the house as his pick-six proved to be costly.

Aug 15, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Kalel Mullings (28) runs against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Sitting at 0-3 is no easy feat, but knowing two running backs are on the IR makes things even more frustrating. Tennessee's offense hasn't looked great, though they've shown sparks from time to time. Ward is only going to get better as the season progresses, but his abilities will be strengthened once Spears returns from the IR. Now that Mullings has joined him, it leaves the team no choice but to further rely on Pollard.

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