4 Things We Need to See From Titans in Joint Practice With Bears

Highlighting four things that the Tennessee Titans need to show in their final joint practice of the preseason with the Chicago Bears.

Aug 23, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans wider receiver Carnell Tate (14) during warmup period against the Seattle Seahawks at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Titans' final week of the preseason has arrived, and with it comes multiple landmark events for the team. Tennessee has a joint practice with the Chicago Bears tomorrow, before hosting them for a preseason Saturday showdown at Nissan Stadium.

Just one day after that contest, on Sunday, Aug. 30, final roster cuts are due for the regular season. As Robert Saleh prepares to trim his first Titans team down to 53 players, all eyes are now firmly trained on tomorrow's practice.

Here are four things that the Titans need to show in their early meeting with Chicago prior to what may go down as the most eventful weekend of the offseason.

A Strong Showing for Carnell Tate

With a double-dud through his first two preseason showings, expected star rookie Carnell Tate needs a convincing turn before taking the field against Chicago on Saturday.

Tate's strong camp prior to live play has since fallen into an underwhelming stretch of little to no production. Coach Saleh helped tamp down worries about his future when he said that Tennessee isn't yet scheming for Tate, but it would still go a long way if he could match the output of his fellow WRs.

Disruption From Cor'Dale Flott

Cor'Dale Flott was one of Tennessee's premier acquisitions of this offseason, being brought in on a three-year, $45 million deal. Yet, he's quickly emerged as an outlier in the secondary since live play began - that's not a good thing.

After an abysmal opening against the San Francisco 49ers, Flott followed that up in the second game of the preseason by wiping away a Kevin Winston Jr. interception due to an illegal contact penalty.

August 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Patrick Taylor Jr. (32) runs against Tennessee Titans cornerback Cor'dale Flott (18) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Quite simply, we need to see Flott disrupt tomorrow. He doesn't have to come away with a handful of picks or anything, but at this point, breaking up a few passes and swatting down a deep ball would do to quiet the noise around his role.

Cam Ward Connecting Downfield

Cam Ward took a small leap against the Seahawks compared to his showing in the preseason opener. Going 8/12 and not making an egregious mistakes, the main issue with Ward was his inability to connect on a big play.

In fact, on 25 dropbacks this preseason, Ward hasn't completed one single pass that has traveled longer than seven yards in the air. He's only attempted to do so six times.

Aug 23, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) walks off the field post game against the Seattle Seahawks at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That outlines an expectation for him in the joint practice with Chicago. The Titans need to see Ward not only look downfield more often, but connect on a few balls. That sort of momentum could translate into him finally being able to cut loose in the passing game two days later.

A Continued Breakout for Anthony Hill Jr.

Lastly, Tennessee is looking for a continued rise from Anthony Hill Jr. The second-round rookie broke out last week with seven tackles and an interception vs. Seattle. According to PFF, he was the highest-graded rookie of the preseason's second week.

In the words of DC Gus Bradley, all the Titans need to see now is consistency. Hill already has the makings of a should-have-been first-rounder, and so long as he continues to tick in this direction, the Titans may be able to pencil him in as one of the steals of the draft.

Another huge day is due for the first-year LB.