Brian Callahan leaves no doubt about the outcome of the Titans’ RB3 battle

Just because a player is selected in the NFL Draft doesn’t guarantee that he will make the roster. Tennessee Titans running back Julius Chestnut is living proof of this.

The 23-year-old, who was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, had just nine carries for 12 yards in nine games in his career and spent most of his time on special teams. However, Chestnut got more playing time due to his play in training camp and the preseason.

The Titans opted to keep three running backs as part of Tuesday’s roster cuts deadline, and heading into training camp, we knew the top two spots would belong to 2023 third-round pick Tyjae Spears and free agent Tony Pollard.

The only question left was who would get the job of third running back, a question that had to be answered in three games with live replays.

Chestnut emerged as the best candidate from the crowd.

“Hassan did a good job,” head coach Brian Callahan said, via Jim Wyatt of Titans Online, “but Julius was just better every chance he had. Julius earned it. I feel really good about Julius as our third running back.”

The Sacred Heart product excelled as both a runner and a pass catcher out of the backfield, collecting 78 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards.

Chestnut led the Titans in attempts (13) and rushing yards (45) in the Titans’ Week 2 preseason win over the Seattle Seahawks. He also collected 29 yards through the air on two catches of 10 yards each in that game.

Then there was Haskins, who couldn’t convince the coaching staff that he was the right man for the job. The former 2022 fourth-round pick rushed for 93 yards on 25 carries as a rookie but missed his entire sophomore season due to injury.

Additionally, Haskins only rushed for 58 yards on 18 carries in the preseason, or 3.2 yards per attempt. The Titans praised his work on special teams, but he failed to prove he could do more than Chestnut.

Chestnut’s number of appearances and workload throughout the season will likely change from week to week, but he seems determined to carve out a role as the Titans’ third running back.