NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The writing appeared to be on the wall for Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard.
Pollard, who turned 29 in April, is inching closer to the dreaded "drop-off at 30" associated with running backs. Despite Pollard posting a career-best 1,082 rushing yards last season, many analysts in their mock drafts predicted former Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love would be the Titans' pick at No. 4 overall.
Rather than get caught up in any of the Love hype, Pollard kept his head down and went to work.
"I was a lot more proactive," Pollard said. "I don't take off as long as I used to because you don't want to get out of shape and have to work to get back in shape. I do things to stay steady, so when it's time to ramp back up, I am already in shape, and it's not too big of a drastic change."
Would the Titans have actually taken Love? It's a question we may never get the answer to. The Arizona Cardinals took Love one pick ahead of Tennessee. But given the way new Titans coach Robert Saleh has spoken about Pollard from the first time he was asked about the veteran back, it's no certainty Tennessee would have taken Love.
"I got the sideline view last year when he put 100 [yards] on us," Saleh said. "He's an unbelievable pro. Does everything the right way, brings a lot of juice and energy, he's a positive individual."
That performance happened in Week 15 when Pollard rushed for 104 yards on 14 carries against the San Francisco 49ers, where Saleh was the defensive coordinator. Pollard said Saleh told him he was a "helluva player" and respected him after the game. Now that the two are in the same building, Saleh is already impressed with Pollard's daily operation.
"Every single step he takes is deliberate in terms of the pad level, the hand placement, the eyes to make sure that he's executing at a high level," Saleh said. "Those are the reasons why he's so successful."
Last season marked the fourth consecutive year that Pollard rushed for over 1,000 yards -- joining the Baltimore Ravens' Derrick Henry as the only players do so. He also joined Earl Campbell (1978-81), Eddie George (1996-2000) and Chris Johnson (2008-13) as the only players to rush for 1,000 or more yards in each of their first two seasons with the franchise.
"I take a lot of pride in my consistency," Pollard said. "In this league, the best ability is being available. So if you're not healthy, not there week to week, it's hard for your team to depend on you, for you to be consistent."
Availability has been Pollard's calling card over his seven-year career. Pollard has only missed five games and has been out for only one game since becoming a featured back in 2023. His 260 carries in his first season with the Titans in 2024 were a career high, and his 242 carries last season were the third most.
The Titans will have a decision to make with Pollard as he enters the final season of a three-year, $21.7 million contract. Last offseason, former coach Brian Callahan said he wanted Pollard to split carries with Tyjae Spears, who's now in the final season of the rookie deal he signed after the Titans selected him in the third round in 2023.
How a new coaching staff approaches the carries remains to be seen, but Tennessee's running backs room consists of Pollard, Spears, Julius Chestnut, Kalel Mullings, Michael Carter and 2026 fifth-round pick Nicholas Singleton.
Running backs coach Randy Jordan praised Pollard for his durability and for showing up for the team every week and feels the running backs, led by Pollard, are handling the challenge of learning a new scheme.
"Tony is a pro's pro," Jordan said. "All those guys are doing a phenomenal job learning what it takes to play in this system. Tony and the guys have done a really good job taking it one day at a time. I know Tony from coaching him the last couple of years. It's a benefit. We're just trying to attack the day and be the best version of ourselves today."
