{"id":621123,"date":"2026-05-03T13:53:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T13:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/621123\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T13:53:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T13:53:08","slug":"carnell-tate-who-was-willing-to-give-up-the-bank-for-17-settled-on-14-with-titans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/621123\/","title":{"rendered":"Carnell Tate, who was willing to “give up the bank” for 17, settled on 14 with Titans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Titans receiver Carnell Tate, one of my personal favorite 2026 prospects because of his Lego habit<\/a>, said in the hours before he was drafted that he would \u201cgive up the bank<\/a>\u201d to get his preferred number, 17, at the next level.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Tate didn\u2019t even make teammate Chimere Dike an offer.<\/p>\n

At rookie minicamp, Tate told reporters that he didn\u2019t want to \u201cbother<\/a>\u201d Dike with it. Instead, Tate picked No. 14 for his \u201cnew team, new journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tate said 14 was the \u201cbest number available.\u201d He also said it made sense because his mother was born on November 14, and because he was taken by the Titans in round 1, pick 4.<\/p>\n

Dike, for his part, may have been ready to start the bidding. Tate said he was willing to pay in the \u201cupper hundred thousands<\/a>\u201d for 17.<\/p>\n

On one hand, a player\u2019s number doesn\u2019t mean anything. On another hand, it means everything. For a player who has become identified with a given number, or who has made that number part of his own personal identity, it\u2019s an adjustment to change it. Tate is processing the adjustment by making the new number part of the new everything he\u2019ll be experiencing.<\/p>\n

If his career goes the way he and the Titans hope, Tate will quickly be identified by NFL fans everywhere as 14, the same way other great NFL receivers became known for the numbers they wore. Or, for one specific all-time great, it won\u2019t matter which number he wears.<\/p>\n

Randy Moss isn\u2019t known as being 88 (at Marshall) or 84 (at Minnesota) or 18 (at Oakland) or 81 (at New England). He\u2019s simply known as being Randy Moss.<\/p>\n

Carnell Tate\u2019s ultimate goal should be the same. Don\u2019t be known as 17 or 14 or any other number. Be known as Carnell Tate.<\/p>\n

Either way, he saved plenty of money by not trying to get Dike to give up 17. And that money can buy a lot of Lego sets.<\/p>\n