Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears is listed as questionable for Sunday's AFC South game at the Indianapolis Colts because of a knee injury.
Spears returned to full participation in Friday's practice, an encouraging sign after he was limited Wednesday and sat out Thursday.
The questionable tag still leaves his game-day status unresolved as Tennessee tries to bounce back from a 26-3 loss to the Houston Texans.
Backfield workload at stake
Spears has 17 carries for 65 yards this season, second on the roster in rushing attempts, according to Colts Wire citing Pro Football Focus.
He also led the Titans' running backs in snaps during the Week 5 defeat to Houston, where he rushed twice for no gain and lost a fumble.
In that same game, Spears caught all nine of his targets for 28 yards, underlining the receiving role Tennessee could lose if he cannot play.
If Spears is unavailable, veteran Michael Carter is a leading candidate for extra work, per Yahoo Sports.
Carter has been on the active roster since joining after the Week 3 matchup with the New York Giants but has not appeared in a game and has been inactive on game days.
Rookie Nick Singleton is another option for a larger role, though he was inactive for the Week 5 loss to Houston.
The report identifies Carter as the more established alternative among the available candidates.
Tennessee also has defensive absences to manage.
Starting safety Kevin Winston Jr. is ruled out with a quad injury, and defensive tackle Jordan Elliott will miss the game for personal reasons.
Winston has 32 total tackles this season, while Elliott has played 114 snaps and registered one pressure, with most of his work coming against running plays.
The Titans plan to bring safety Isaiah Oliver and defensive tackle Timmy Horne up from the practice squad to help cover those gaps, Yahoo Sports reported.
Cornerback Joshua Williams is also listed as questionable with a pectoral injury, but he remains on injured reserve and must be activated before he can face Indianapolis.
Spears' final status will determine whether Tennessee keeps his recent backfield role and receiving contribution for the divisional contest.
