So far, eight of the NFL’s 32 teams are 0-2, a hole from which only 12% of teams have ever bounced back to ultimately make the playoffs. Some of those teams are a surprise — the Los Angeles Chargers were widely expected to make a title push this season — while others were expected. The Tennessee Titans, who drafted first overall in 2025, finished 3-14 in that season, and are 0-2 so far.
To make matters even worse for the Titans, running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears both sat out Wednesday’s practice while dealing with soreness, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. Both Pollard and Spears finished Tennessee’s narrow Week 2 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles without showing any signs of injury, so their non-participation could be more precautionary than anything, but their injury statuses are worth keeping an eye on ahead of the Titans’ Week 3 game against the New York Giants.
Pollard has been extremely healthy throughout his career, so his absence would likely require a serious ailment. However, if Pollard is truly hurt and both players end up sitting, Tennessee could be forced to turn to Nicholas Singleton, a rookie fifth-round pick who took four carries in the defeat against the Eagles.
Who would start if Pollard and Spears sit?
Singleton made his NFL debut in Week 2, taking four carries for 10 yards in the same third-quarter possession that ultimately resulted in a game-tying score. He’d also impressed somewhat in preseason, turning his 15 carries into 57 yards and his two catches into 18 yards. The Penn State product had four extremely productive seasons with the Nittany Lions, taking 724 touches for 4,448 yards and 54 total touchdowns throughout his career despite being the junior partner in a tandem with Washington Commanders rookie Kaytron Allen in all four seasons.
Singleton’s most impressive trait is his athleticism; per NFL.com’s scouting reports, he graded out as the single best athlete in the 2026 running back draft class, and his straight-line speed, functional strength, and steady hands allowed him to set school records for all-purpose yards and total scores. Although he’s not as mobile in tight quarters as Allen, and his vision is lacking, he has the speed and power to be productive in open space.
Is Singleton worth picking up in fantasy?
It all depends on whether the Titans’ offense, led by second-year quarterback Cam Ward and new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, can put Singleton into the right positions to succeed.
Ward has taken some small strides since his rough rookie season, completing passes at a rate 1.7 percentage points higher, amassing 0.9 more adjusted net yards per attempt, and taking sacks at a slightly lower rate. Overall, though, he’s still one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL, making bad throws at the second-highest rate despite averaging the eighth-fewest intended air yards per passing attempt, and his on-target percentage is the league’s 11th-lowest. Given Singleton’s limited mobility in tight quarters — his only run of more than four yards in his debut came around the left edge — screen passes are his best bet for success, as he managed 9.5 yards per catch on passes between the numbers behind the line of scrimmage in college. Unfortunately for him, Ward has been the league’s worst quarterback in such situations.
I also don’t trust Tennessee’s offensive line. By PFF’s standards, the Titans rank second-to-last by run-blocking grades after finishing 23rd last season, and neither Pollard nor Spears has reached the 100-yard mark despite Pollard being a talented back who has amassed four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Pollard and Spears have both done a good job finding yards before contact, and Pollard also ranks ninth in rush yards over expectation per attempt, but both Pollard and Spears are experienced and efficient interior runners in a way that Singleton is not. Individually, all five of Tennessee’s offensive linemen have been among the worst run-blockers at their respective positions.
To be fair, the Giants’ defense is pretty gettable, as they’ve allowed the fourth-most rushing yards per attempt this season and rank just 29th by PFF’s run defense grades. They’ve also given up the eighth-most FPTS per game to the position, and edge defender Brian Burns, who’s been the fourth-best run defender on the team so far this season, is likely to sit after suffering an ankle sprain in New York’s Monday Night Football loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Giants’ mediocrity against the run could provide Singleton with some value, but I still wouldn’t be inclined to pick him up.
