Carnell Tate’s preseason stays quiet, but Bears fans point to a strong joint-practice day

Carnell Tate is leaving the preseason with fewer visible results than fans expected, even as the chatter around his Week-to-week progress has not cooled. According to reports circulated during the final stretch of preseason football, Tate ended his preseason work without a catch after appearing in all three games. The statistical outcome is the kind that can sour expectations quickly, particularly for a pass-catcher trying to earn separation and trust in live action.

Those same reports, however, drew a line from preseason games back to practice. Teammate and coaching conversations from practices, the reporting said, had been generally positive, suggesting Tate was performing well in drills and work sessions. In other words, the concern was less that he could not get open or execute the routes, and more that the translation from practice reps to game targets did not show up in the box score.

What changed the mood for supporters was not a sudden preseason breakthrough, but a stronger showing in last week’s joint practice against the Chicago Bears. In the coverage, Tate was described as having “a really good day” during that work, which gave fans a concrete, recent moment to point to after the preseason games failed to produce catches.

For perspective, joint practices often operate as a kind of bridge between full-squad practice and regular-season game speed. They can be especially telling for receivers and routes concepts because defenses are typically trying to prepare for what a team will face in the coming weeks, even if the details of the install and the personnel packages differ from an official preseason contest. That is why a single sharp day in a controlled, live setting can matter to fans even when the prior three games were unproductive for a receiver.

The contrast also speaks to a common preseason problem for skill players. A wide receiver’s evaluation usually involves more than catches, including timing on throws, the ability to win at the catch point, and the reliability of positioning after the snap. Yet fans tend to anchor their judgment on production, and the report highlighted how the “reasonable fans” remained willing to separate practice momentum from the preseason’s small sample of opportunities.

Tate’s next test is what happens once the preseason ends and the regular-season standard takes over. The key question becomes whether the strong joint-practice day can translate into consistent targets, route-integrity, and repeatable plays, not just one burst against an opponent’s starters or core defenders.

From a team-building standpoint, the motivation behind the receiver’s role matters just as much as any single stat line. If Tate has been trending up in practice and at joint sessions, coaches typically look to reward that trend with opportunities, particularly when the passing game needs dependable hands and reliable body control in contested situations.

Until those opportunities arrive in a regular-season context, the story for now is about interpretation. Preseason games without catches can distort expectations, but practice reports and joint-practice flashes can also be misleading. The immediate watch is whether the next phase of the season turns this momentum into tangible results for Tate and whatever offensive unit he is working within.