Why the Tennessee Titans Are Betting Big on Cam Ward So Soon

Cam Ward has been named the QB1 of the Tennessee Titans. Surprising? Sort of.

If you were a gambler, it’s possible you would have put your money on Will Levis beginning the season as the starter for head coach Brian Callahan. That would have allowed Ward — the No. 1 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft — to learn by watching. The expectations for the Titans are low this season, and no one thought inserting Ward as the starter in Week 1 suddenly would make Tennessee a playoff team.

But Levis is out for the season following surgery for a gruesome shoulder injury, and that left the franchise in the hands of either Ward or career backups Tim Boyle and Brandon Allen.

The Titans chose the 23-year-old Ward.

Even highly touted first-round picks don’t come with guaranteed long-term success, though. For every Week 1 starter like Trey Lance, there’s a Patrick Mahomes, who spent a season in Kansas City watching and learning behind Alex Smith before the start of a career that is destined to end with enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

So what are reasonable, and manageable, expectations for Ward in the preseason and beyond? Callahan and staff should be looking in the preseason to see how the unshakeable poise and confidence he showed at Miami (Fla.) translates to the NFL.

That was Ward’s A-plus trait — the quality Ward had that made you think, “I could bet on him.” His pocket presence was impeccable under Miami coach Mario Cristobal, whose staff mentored Ward after his transfer from Washington State. In his only season with the Hurricanes, Ward was an All-American, throwing for 4,313 yards with an FBS-best 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Miami gave him an NFL-quality offensive line and allowed him to blossom. The Titans have a pretty nice line on paper, too. Tackles JC Latham and Dan Moore Jr. have had recent strong seasons, and guards Peter Skoronski and Kevin Zeitler should limit the interior pressure that would force Ward out of the pocket. This will allow Ward to keep composed and deliver those strikes to a veteran wide receiver corps equipped to mentor the rookie and help him through the early bumps.

In a recent interview with NFL Network, Callahan said he is encouraged by what he has seen so far from the 23-year-old Ward in advance of the preseason opener Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I think every day he’s grown,” Callahan said. “He’s getting exposed to more and more things — from pressure packages and protections to timing and all that stuff that you have to do as an NFL quarterback. His growth every day has been really fun to watch. Got a lot of work still to do, but excited.”

Ultimately, the outlook for Ward is strong, and even as he calls his offense “mid” and is plagued with drops, he’s making big throws. He’s hitting his marks in camp and that’s all Callahan can ask of him at this point. If Ward can show an unflappable nature as he and the team improve, that’s a sign that he eventually could take the Titans beyond their 3-14 record of last season to the promised land.

For now, there’s no need to rush the rookie. Patience will pay off.

It is up to the coaching staff to help Ward stay on that track, take care of the ball and continue his development. It’s a long road for the Titans to playoff relevance. Building good habits will be more important than flashy deep balls for Cam Ward early in his career.

Then, we can talk about Super Bowls — and the Mahomes comparisons that Ward received in college.