Carnell Tate’s biggest NFL outing so far came with a small price tag.
The Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver was added to the injury report Thursday with a back issue, putting his status in focus ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium. Tate had been a full participant in Wednesday’s practice before being limited a day later.
He was far from the only Titan dealing with something on Thursday. Safety Amani Hooker did not practice while staying in concussion protocol, and tight end David Martin-Robinson sat out with a hamstring injury. Defensive tackles Jeffery Simmons and John Franklin-Myers were limited because of back issues, safety Kevin Winston Jr. was managing a shoulder injury, cornerback Marcus Harris was working through knee and ankle problems, and tight end Gunnar Helm was limited with a knee issue.
The timing is notable because Tate is coming off the best game of his young career. In Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens, the fourth overall selection hauled in nine catches for 145 yards on 12 targets.
That yardage total ranked 11th among individual performances in a game this season, and his 268 receiving yards on 22 catches placed him 15th in the league. He also accounted for nearly two-thirds of quarterback Cam Ward’s 222 passing yards.
The breakout wasn’t spotless. Tate coughed up a fumble after a long reception late in the first half, and Baltimore turned that takeaway into a 64-yard field goal.
Pro Football Focus graded him at 67.0 for the game and 63.8 for the season. He still has not scored his first NFL touchdown.
A full practice Friday would go a long way toward keeping Tate from carrying an injury designation into Sunday.
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Carnell Tate Could Put Texans In A Tough Spot Again
Carnell Tates Week 4 breakout gave the Titans another layer to work with, and it came at the right time. The rookie wideout caught nine passes for 145 yards, flashing the kind of versatility that can make an offense harder to pin down when a defense starts keying on where a receiver lines up. Tennessee has already shown a willingness to move Tate around, using him on the boundary and also inside, which has helped expand how the passing game can attack different coverage looks.
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