Carnell Tate’s first days in Tennessee have already turned into the kind of training-camp buzz that gets people talking fast. Clips have been making the rounds online, and the rookie receiver has flashed enough with toe-taps and one-handed grabs to get Titans fans fired up about what he might become.
Pat McAfee added fuel to that conversation on yesterday’s show, and he didn’t hold back on the praise for Cam Ward’s newest target. “This Ohio State wide receiver factory they got cooking might have found the next Terry McLaurin here,” McAfee said after breaking down Tate’s work in practice.
He kept going from there. “Not as hyped as everybody else,” McAfee went on, “but still unbelievable.
That could be Carnell Tate's trajectory, quickly.” Coming from McAfee, that matters more than a throwaway compliment.
He may be best known for the energy he brings on TV, but he also played the game, and this wasn’t the kind of praise tossed out lightly.
The McLaurin comparison makes sense on a few levels. Tate is a bit longer than McLaurin, but both came through Ohio State, and McAfee’s point was less about star power than about the shape of a career. McLaurin has built himself into the kind of steady pro every team would love to land: two Pro Bowls, and a run of 1,000-yard seasons from 2020-2024 that speaks for itself.
That’s the bar McAfee was pointing to, and it’s a pretty strong one. If Tate ends up anywhere near that kind of production, Tennessee will have hit big.
The expectations are obvious when you’re talking about a player taken fourth overall, and that pressure only grows when a rookie is expected to help carry an offense. That’s the reality for Cam Ward, too.
But Tate doesn’t have to do everything at once. Brian Daboll’s offense gives him room to settle in while Ward leans on options like Wan'Dale Robinson, Gunnar Helm, and others from under center.
For the Titans, the early signs are enough to dream a little. For McAfee, the message was clear: the hype around Tate may be real, and the path he’s on already looks a lot like the one that made Terry McLaurin such a reliable NFL force.
In Other News...
Cam Ward Is Already Showing Titans Fans A Different Edge
A recent joint practice with the 49ers offered an early look at what Cam Ward can bring to the Titans beyond arm talent. The rookie quarterback did not back down from a lively exchange with Fred Warner, and the back-and-forth fit the kind of competitive setting both teams seemed to want. Ward came away valuing the challenge, while Warner praised the fearless approach that showed up across the session.
For Tennessee, that edge matters because practice got chippy enough that some Titans players had to be pulled aside after altercations, a reminder that these meetings can blur the line between work and tempers. The preseason game between the teams is still ahead, but this one already gave the Titans a glimpse of how Ward handles pressure when the intensity rises and the defenses are not giving him anything easy. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Center Battle Is Starting To Tell A Bigger Story
As the Titans get set for a joint practice and preseason game against the 49ers, the center competition is beginning to take on more shape than the team probably expected this early in camp. Early reports and Tennessees first preseason depth chart point to Austin Schlottmann, the free-agent addition, as the player trending toward the starting job, with ESPNs Turron Davenport noting the way the reps have been sorting out and teammates also offering support for what they have seen.
Pat Coogan is still in the mix, but the first preseason depth chart offered a clearer snapshot of where things stand by placing him behind Andre James and Schlottmann. For a line still sorting out its best configuration, the center spot matters well beyond one position battle, and the Titans now have a small but meaningful clue about which direction they may be leaning as the preseason work picks up. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Depth Chart Just Turned These Camp Battles Into Real Pressure
The Titans put out their first depth chart of the season ahead of the preseason meeting with the San Francisco 49ers, and it immediately gave some of camps quieter competitions a more official feel. Running back Nick Singleton, linebacker Cody Barton, swing tackle options Austin Deculus and Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, along with kicker Joey Slye all landed in the spotlight as the staff started sorting out who has the inside track in a handful of unsettled spots.
For Tennessee, the bigger takeaway is that these early listings are less about final answers than about where the pressure is landing right now. Positions along the offensive line and on special teams can flip quickly in August, and the Titans will be watching closely to see who handles the first real test against another teams uniforms, especially with several jobs still very much up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]