Carnell Tate was Badly Overshadowed by a 49ers Rookie WR in Titans Preseason Debut

Carnell Tate's preseason opener with the Tennessee Titans saw him pushed out of the spotlight by an opposing rookie receiver who was taken later in the draft.

August 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'zhaun Stribling (15) is tackled by Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor (24) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fans would rather forget much of Robert Saleh's preseason debut with the Tennessee Titans. For the most part, you could've comfortably done without everything but the final score, which saw Tennessee pull away 19-13 from the San Francisco 49ers on the back of an outrageous performance from Joey Slye. The Titans' kicker seems to have it all figured out, at least.

One of the biggest disappointments of the night was Brian Daboll's offense, particularly as it relates to the passing game. While the Titans' backfield managed to deal their fair share of damage, including a Tony Pollard touchdown, Cam Ward's 5/12 passing metric was sigh-inducing to see.

But beyond Ward, it was Carnell Tate who truly puzzled Titans fans. Even in limited minutes, Tate managed to draw just three targets - and he caught none of them. Juxtaposed against the 49ers' own rookie wide receiver, De'Zhaun Stribling, Tate looked especially out of order.

In response to Tate's goose egg on the stat sheet, Stribling hauled in seven catches for 63 yards in total, including an impressive 32-yard snag that made the Titans' struggling secondary look lost.

How Titans Fans Should Respond to Tate's Struggles

Tate, of course, was taken fourth overall by the Titans. Stribling was taken 29 spots later in the second round, with the 33rd pick. It's far too early to feel cheated, but Tennessee fans couldn't be blamed for wondering what went wrong here.

The short answer? Ward only completed five passes on the night in total, missing multiple open receivers and suffering consistent pressure from San Francisco's defensive line. Wan'Dale Robinson led all Titans receivers with just two catches for 19 yards. Nobody had a good night.

It just isn't time to worry about Tate as a prospect, at least not yet. This sour performance (alongside the rest of his team) doesn't wash away his imperssive camp and general trajectory as a rookie. That's the other major takeaway here.

Aug 3, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans wider receiver Carnell Tate (14) makes a catch during training camp at Vanderbilt Health Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tate Has a Ton of Time in Tennessee

While he's definitely expected to produce, nobody is counting on Tate to come in and dominate in his first year. Squarely in the middle of a rebuild with a second-year quarterback under center, Tennessee doesn't have all of their ducks in a row. Tate can't be expected to yet, either.

It's no doubt that he'll have to be better than he was in the Titans' debut; the standard for a high first round pick remains, well, high.

But spelled by Wan'Dale Robinson, Gunnar Helm, Calvin Ridley, and others, Tate has the entire season ahead of him to find his footing. I know Titans fans are tired of waiting around, but that may be what it takes as Tennessee's undeniably talented young offense tries to settle in.