Rookie Carnell Tate calls out the Texans' defense, eager for showdowns with their top corners and fueling the fierce Titans-Texans rivalry.
The Tennessee Titans haven't always used that name throughout the franchise's history.
They actually started as the Houston Oilers in 1960 in the AFL. The Oilers joined the NFL with the 1970 merger. After struggling to get fans to attend games and the Astrodome not meeting the standards the franchise wanted, the Oilers decided to move to Nashville in 1997, changing their name to the Tennessee Oilers.
The team would change its name again in 1999 to the Titans that we all know and love.
The city of Houston wasn't done angering the family of former Owner Bud Adams yet. After not giving the Oilers the support they needed many years ago, Houston was awarded an NFL team in 2002, calling themselves the Houston Texans.
The rivalry with the Titans and Texans isn't as big compared to some of the others in this league, but it's had its moments.
I remember seeing Cortland Finnegan and Andre Johnson get into a fight on the field at one of the meetings during the 2010s.
Then, Amy Adams-Strunk ignited the flames of the rivalry further in 2022. The Texans have tried over the years to acquire the rights to the Oilers' intellectual property, but have been denied by the Adams family multiple times.
The current Titans owner then announced that the Titans would wear the Oilers throwbacks in the 2023 season. The Texans argued they deserved to wear the uniforms, but Adams-Strunk has kept them with the Titans.
Even the recent uniform reveal for the Titans drew inspiration from the Oilers, throwing further shade on the Texans.
Titans draft pick Carnell Tate made a statement that should get fans talking at his post-draft press conference. He said he was excited to face the Texans' defense, highlighting the chance to go against top corners, which would be Derek Stingley in that case.
"I'm very excited to go against the Texans' defense," Tate said. "They're known for their defenses, how fast they play around the field. I'm really excited to have those top-dog matchups, the one-on-one matchups with the top corners in the division."
There's always emotion tied to the rivalry between these two franchises, but what Tate said should have fans excited about the two matchups we'll see this upcoming season.
Tate hasn't been afraid to speak his mind so far.
He already talked about how excited he was to be treated as a No. 1 receiver in the NFL.
Even though the Titans and Texans both had different seasons, the games last year still had a lot of passion. Tennessee was shut out in the first meeting, 26-0, but then the second game came down to a game-winning field goal from Matthew Wright.
No matter what the records are for each team, the rivalry will bring out the best in both franchises.
Tate may not fully understand what the rivalry means for both franchises, but he's not backing down from top competition, and Stingley will give him that chance in 2026.
We may be in for a promising showdown between the Titans and Texans.