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When is Tyjae Spears coming back? Will Tyjae Spears play again this season? Read about Tyjae Spears' return date and injury updates for 2025 as of Week 1.
Just as he starts to get momentum as a backfield contributor, Tyjae Spears' body lets him down.
That's been the story of Spears' young career. Initially tapped to be the 1B to 1A Tony Pollard, the 24-year-old missed time on three separate occasions during the 2024 season. The final injury (a second concussion) came in his lone start of the season, Week 17, when he picked up 95 yards on 65 percent of the snaps.
Now, he's riding a scooter following a high-ankle sprain. Where does that leave his status for Week 1 and beyond? Let's break down Spears' injury, and be sure to follow RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your fantasy football needs and injury updates.
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Tyjae Spears Injury Update for Fantasy Football
It's been several weeks since Spears suffered a high-ankle sprain, but the recovery process isn't moving very quickly. Spears is sporting a walking boot still, and, on roster-cut day, the Titans moved their second-string running back to injured reserve.
Sources: Titans RB Tyjae Spears, who suffered a high ankle sprain earlier this month and was spotted in a walking boot this weekend, is being placed on injured reserve, meaning he will sidelined at least the first four games of the season. pic.twitter.com/qVyIwmbyH4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2025
That's going to cost the 2023 third-round pick four games to open the 2025 season. The first game he'll be eligible to suit up for is against Arizona in Week 5. High-ankle sprains can be tricky, and even with a potential return in Week 5, it could take Spears even longer to get back up to speed.
Tyjae Spears Fantasy Football Outlook
Before the injury, Spears was viewed as a flex with benefits. He was in the elite tier of insurance running backs and would have been easily in the RB2 range if Pollard missed time with an injury. If the pair were playing together, Spears would have gotten his fair share. He averaged 9.4 touches in games he and Pollard shared the backfield, and Spears played at least 30 percent of the snaps. It's not a high-upside flex, but sometimes desperate times call.
It's not nearly as enticing now. Four games are officially off the books, and it will be Pollard's touches to lose as Spears slowly makes his return to a contributing member of the Tennessee backfield. That makes the veteran a high-floor RB2 in upcoming drafts.
Why are we ignoring Tony Pollard this year in fantasy football?
- 14th easiest schedule in the NFL for running backs
- Tyjae Spears dealing with a high ankle sprain
- Pollard was 1 of 5 backs to average 16 rushing attempts and 3.5 receptions per game in 2024
- He’s at LEAST… pic.twitter.com/FbQ7mhps2t
— James Danielson (@snag1025) August 20, 2025
Spears could be a candidate for an early-season IR spot on your fantasy football roster, ala Brandon Aiyuk and Jalen McMillan, but that spot may be needed sooner rather than later. It's better to avoid Spears in standard-sized drafts and better utilize that roster spot.
Sixth-round rookie Kalel Mullings and Julius Chestnut round out the Titans' depth chart while Spears is on the mend. Mullings is the RB2 on paper, but both would likely get work if Pollard suffers an injury.
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