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Titans Rookie WR Making Big Impact on Special Teams

The Tennessee Titans have a rookie improving their special teams unit.
Jeremy Brener|
Sep 7, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Chimere Dike (17) makes a catch against the Denver Broncos in the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Sep 7, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Chimere Dike (17) makes a catch against the Denver Broncos in the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Chimere Dike is going into the second game of his NFL career with some confidence after a strong debut.

While Dike didn't play much on offense, he made an impact on special teams with a 71-yard return just before the end of the first half. The return set up Joey Slye to knock down a field goal just before the teams went into the locker room.

Dike spoke about how the special teams unit is helping the Titans in their recipe for victory.

"I have a lot of lot of really good teammates on the special teams that are opening up, and Coach "Bones" [John Fassel] does a great job. So I was really confident going to the game, be able to, you know, make some plays. It was nice and hoping to grow on," Dike said via team reporter Jim Wyatt.

There was an uptick on returns in the first week of the season across the NFL. Last year in Week 1, only 35 percent of kicks were returned. This year, that number ballooned to 75 percent, making Dike's role that much more important for the Titans.

"I think the kickoff rule with the 35 yard line definitely is a new element, and give guys opportunities to be able to have more chances and make plays," Dike said.

Now that Dike has gotten a chance to see and feel what a regular season game in the NFL is like, he will feel a lot more comfortable moving forward.

"I mean, it was nice, definitely, to have those joint practices, have the preseason games, but to be able to go out there [in a regular season game], I felt comfortable. I felt like, you know, we played pretty well. Obviously, there's things you can clean up every time a week, but it was definitely a good place to grow from," Dike said.

Special teams often go unnoticed when looking at ways to win football games. However, Dike could help the Titans make special teams exciting again as they look to rebuild from being the worst team in the NFL.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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