Titans RB Tyjae Spears responds to concerns about his knee
Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears answers questions about his knee at rookie minicamp on Saturday.
Moments after the Tennessee Titans selected Tulane running back Tyjae Spears with the 81st overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport made a concerning report.
Rapoport said on the draft broadcast that Spears' medicals from the NFL Combine showed his knee was ACL deficient and had signs of both cartilage thinning and arthritis.
For good reason, that got the attention of the fans and the media after the draft. For the first time since being drafted, Spears was asked by Titans media on Saturday at rookie minicamp about the reports regarding his knee.
Spears did not give any specific answers to the questions regarding his knee. Instead, he offered one vague, but consistent statement: He's healthy.
Here's a look at the banter between Titans media and Spears following rookie minicamp on Saturday.
Question: Tyjae, can you maybe clarify? I know we probably asked you about the knee before but that unusual report that said you actually didn't have an ACL in one knee, is that actually true? How do you deal with that?
Spears: I was out there. I did everything, so I feel perfectly fine. There's nothing wrong with me. I'm healthy.
Question: Is it a situation where you just compensate with the strength of everything else around the knee?
Spears: No, I'm healthy.
Question: You're healthy, but do you have an ACL in me?
Spears: I am healthy.
Spears' frustration is understandable. He has recently fulfilled his childhood dream of being drafted and signing with an NFL team. He's at rookie minicamp showing off some impressive speed and agility while working on improving his game. Instead of talking about football or answering questions about his journey to the league, fielding a line of questions about knee injuries that occurred over two years ago can be exasperating.
At the end of the day, Spears is right. He is healthy and running without pain. He feels good, and has felt good for quite some time. Spears played in all 14 games and took 229 carries for Tulane in 2022.
There are no doubts about how Spears feels and his current bill of health, but the knee questions are not going to go away, either. Arthritis and cartilage thinning can lead to extreme pain and a shortened career. Not having an ACL makes the knee far less stable and puts the meniscus at risk for a major injury. These are long-term concerns that Spears might not feel right now, but could be a factor in the near future.
My hope for Tyjae Spears is that this conversation never becomes relevant again and he's able to have a long and healthy NFL career. Spears is such a talented runner and he has the upside to be Derrick Henry's future successor in the Titans offense. At the very least, he's going to be a productive third down running back for Tennessee as a rookie that provides a good change of pace from Henry's running style.
But Spears' knee is a factor, and until there is a clear understanding of what he is dealing with, questions are going to be asked. Avoiding the questions and giving vague answers doesn't do anything to stop the people from wondering or asking.
