Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate, the 4th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, entered training camp with as much momentum as any first-year player in the league. The Ohio State product dominated OTAs and minicamp throughout May and June, making highlight-reel catches on a daily basis. 

Explosive plays down the sideline, contested grabs in the red zone, one-handed catches that drew rave reviews from coaches and teammates. Tate looked like a 21-year-old who had no business being this polished this early. But as Tennessee’s training camp nears its conclusion, Tate has hit something of a wall, and quarterback Cam Ward’s response to questions about it was about as good as it gets.

Carnell Tate’s quiet stretch started against the 49ers

Before the Titans traveled to Santa Clara to face the 49ers for joint practices, Tate was having productive, strong sessions. Then things went quiet. He didn’t do much in the joint practice against San Francisco, followed by zero catches on three targets in the preseason game. Limited game action, which is no big deal on its own.

But after returning to Nashville, Tate’s practices remained quieter than what fans and media had grown accustomed to during the spring. Last Saturday he had two redzone/goal line TD catches from QB Cam Ward, but that practice was a lighter session after the West Coast travel.

He missed a practice Wednesday because of lower-half stiffness, according to Titans coach Robert Saleh, after taking a big hit from safety Kevin Winston Jr. on an explosive fourth-down catch at the end of Monday’s session. Then he came into the joint practice against the Seattle Seahawks and didn’t produce much of anything when it came to catching the football. Zero catches on a few targets in team drills heading into preseason game No. 2.

Nick Suss asked Ward after the Seahawks joint practice if Tate was on a cold streak. That question landed on the same wavelength I’d been feeling all week watching practice from the sidelines.

Cam Ward’s answer was as good as it gets

I honestly thought Ward answered the question about Tate as well as you could possibly answer a question about a wide receiver in the NFL.

“He doesn’t have a cold streak,” Ward started. “He plays one of the hardest positions in sports. You’re either gonna get the ball or you’re not gonna get the ball. He never shows that to the team, whether he’s frustrated or not. And the thing about Carnell, whether he has a drop, whether I have a bad pass, he never points the finger at nobody. He always comes back with the next play mentality.”

“I think the best thing about him is that he wants the ball. And so when the ball does get thrown his way, he’s urgent to it. He goes up and high-points it.. (There are) times where he bails me out when the ball needs to be better. But he’s been great. He may not have had the splash plays like he always does today, but he’s gonna be a key reason why we’re successful on offense.” 

“He can’t control where I’m throwing the ball each and every play, but he can control how fast he plays, how much violence he plays with, and just the urgency that he has getting in and out of the huddle, getting lined up, to his breaks, and then he can control running his routes. So he’s been doing all that. We’re gonna continue to find ways to get him the ball.”

“14, he’s gonna be a playmaker for sure.”

The Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson Titans dynamic

I couldn’t agree with Ward more. The hard thing about Tate and the investment Tennessee made at 4th overall is that his game is dependent on certain variables. 

He’s a downfield, contested-catch guy who is a nuanced, intricate route runner. I think he’s more mature as a receiver than his age and experience suggest. But his production is tied to defensive alignment, where the ball goes on a given play, and the types of looks the offense gets.

Wan’Dale Robinson, the other big investment the Titans made in the wide receiver room with $38 million over the first two years of his free agent deal, is kind of the opposite in the perfect way. Robinson functions as an extension of the run game. Quick hitters to Robinson aren’t dependent on the same variables that a receiver or quarterback can’t control. That contrast is worth paying attention to as the regular season approaches.

Ward nailed it. Tate is going to be totally fine. He’s going through it a little bit right now, which, hey, good. I expect him to handle it well overall.