Carnell Tate
Getty
Carnell Tate had the best game of his rookie season in the Week 4 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver hauled in nine catches for 145 receiving yards, more than his first three games combined. Finding his stride, Tate is looking like the first-round choice that was expected of him.
In the lead-up to the Week 5 divisional clash against the Houston Texans, the Titans announced concerning news surrounding the rookie.
Carnell Tate Added to Injury Report
Carnell Tate
GettyCarnell Tate played three seasons at Ohio State before being drafted by the Titans
Carnell Tate had a quiet preseason, being targeted six times and did not record a single catch. Now picking up the NFL level, the wide receiver could become a dangerous receiving threat.
Titans senior writer Jim Wyatt released the team’s injury report for Thursday, which now adds Carnell Tate to the list with a back injury.
.@Titans injury report on Thursday pic.twitter.com/QBi89rTUwC
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) October 8, 2026
The positive for the Titans is that, despite the injury to the rookie, Tate was limited in practice.
If everything goes well for the rest of the week, the former Buckeye will most likely play against Houston.
Tate has been getting more targets, receptions and yards with every week that goes by. If he misses Week 5, it would mean less playing time in a stretch when he starts playing his best and lose chemistry with Cam Ward.
As of now, Carnell Tate has not recorded his first touchdown. If he does play, he could record it against the winless Texans.
Brian Daboll Opens Up On Offensive Line
Atonio Mafi
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New Titans O-lineman Atonio Mafi
Part of Carnell Tate’s success in Week 4 was due to the offensive line protecting Cam Ward, allowing him to get more reads downfield — Tate registered 16.1 yards per reception in the Week 4 loss to Baltimore.
The Titans put Atonio Mafi in the line for his first start of the season, with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll lauding the lineman’s performance.
“I was impressed,” Daboll said, via the Titans. “Him not being here very long, he has done a good job picking up the information, and going out there and communicating with everybody. We’ll keep on growing with him… But for his first outing, I was pleased with a lot of the things that he did.”
Despite still being winless after four weeks, Tennessee is taking the right steps in almost every direction. Sooner or later, Carnell Tate will log his first touchdown and help the Titans get their first win of the season.
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Jason Garcia Jason Garcia is a sports contributor for Heavy Sports who joined the team in 2025, covering the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. More about Jason Garcia
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