The Tennessee Titans suffered their 12th loss this season against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 15, but their rookie class continues to show promise for their future. Chimere Dike has been a surprise spark for the team this season with excellent special teams play that hasn't been seen in the Titans' franchise in over a decade of play.
While Dike hasn't exactly lit up the stat sheet at his primary wide receiver position, his return game has placed him on the same list as some of the franchise's great players. He just accomplished a feat shared by those greats with three games remaining in the regular season.
Dike achieved the sixth 2,000 all-purpose yards season in franchise history
Dike entered the Titans' game against the 49ers with 1,984 all-purpose yards on the season and broke the 2,000-yard mark on the game's opening kickoff. He finished the game with 100 all-purpose yards to place him 4th on the franchise list for all-purpose yards in one season.
While most of his yards have come on kickoff returns, he joined a list shared with Titans greats such as Derrick Henry, Chris Johnson, and Derrick Mason. With the most all-purpose yards (2,690) being achieved by Derrick Mason in 2000, Dike would have to gain over 600 yards to break the 25-year record.
Dike currently has 284 yards, which trails only Mason's record, Johnson's 2,509 yards in 2009, and Henry's 2,141 yards in 2020. Considering Dike's average is nearly 149 yards per game this season, he would likely move up to second by the season's end, with an outside shot of breaking Mason's record.
The Titans having a rookie competing to break a franchise record in a season that hasn't been what they desired makes for an intriguing future. Dike is making the Titans' decision to trade up to draft him in the fourth round appear franchise-altering, as he is already on a list to break a franchise record before fully adjusting to the NFL's speed.