The Tennessee Titans had their best game of the season offensively in Week 7, and if they had been able to punch the ball in from the one-yard line, who knows what the conversations would be around this team heading into Week 8.
However, another loss brought more criticism, but one player who deserves more praise and less criticism than he is getting is rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate.
Because of how good Tate has been, this Titans fan base has started to forget how much he is doing for this offense. While he has dropped some passes and has two fumbles, this offense would be far and away the worst in the NFL if Tate wasn't as good as he is.
Don't let rare Carnell Tate mistakes overshadow his dominant rookie season
Just look at how impressive Tate has been since the Titans made him a focal point in the passing game. Not only does he lead all rookies in receptions and receiving yards, but he has outproduced nearly the entire rookie class in October alone.
Rookie receiving numbers this year:
— Will Lomas (@jlomas72) October 26, 2026
1. Carnell Tate: 34 receptions, 413 yards
2. Denzel Boston: 20 receptions, 372 yards
3. KC Concepcion: 30 receptions, 315 yards
4. Carnell Tate in the month of October: 21 receptions, 290 yards https://t.co/M1ZUepWPwH
What makes this even more impressive and critical to the success of this team is that Cam Ward has only passed for 1,179 yards this season. That means that Tate accounts for 35% of Ward's passing production.
Another thing to consider when looking at Tate's impact: the Titans have had 10 touchdown drives. Seven of them have involved a Tate catch somewhere on the drive; two didn't, but they were 25-yard and 10-yard drives caused by turnovers created by the defense. The only longer scoring drive without Tate involvement was against the Philadelphia Eagles way back in Week 2.
Tate is currently on pace for just over 1,000 yards. Since 2020, there have only been 10 receivers to top that number as rookies/ The list includes stars like Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Puka Nacua, and Tetairoa McMillan.
If Tate can keep up this pace, recent history shows that he has a great chance to become one of the best receivers in the NFL. Titans fans have been begging for a weapon like that ever since A.J. Brown walked out that door.
Can he drop the ball less frequently and work a little bit more on ball security? Sure. However, don't let those blemishes distract you from the best rookie season this franchise has seen since the Jon Robinson era.
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