Cam Ward's surprisingly low 'Madden' rating gives overlooked Titans QB even more motivation

EA has since bumped his rating to 72, but the QB's still not among the top 10 rookies.

Ward's rating pales in comparison to other QBs who went No. 1 overall. Per BetMGM, Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams, pick No. 1 in 2024, had a 76. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, pick No. 1 in 2021, had a 78.

Lawrence and Williams were considered blue-chip prospects, unlike Ward. In a story published April 16, The Ringer's Diante Lee ranked Ward No. 10 among the 20 first-round QBs since 2020. Lawrence was No. 1, while Williams was No. 4. 

Ward, 23, may not be in a position to succeed, either. The Titans went 3-14 last season and haven't made the playoffs since the 2021 season. Unsurprisingly, Tennessee's offense has looked shaky in training camp thus far.

Ward, however, may deserve more respect. During his final season at Miami, he tossed 39 touchdown passes in 13 games, winning the 2024 Davey O'Brien Award as college football's best QB.

Williams threw 30 TD passes in 12 games during his final season with Southern California. Lawrence, meanwhile, never eclipsed 36 TD passes in three seasons with Clemson. 

Ward is used to being underestimated. Coming out of Columbia High School in Texas, he was a zero-star recruit, per 247Sports. He began his college career at Incarnate Word, subsequently transferring to Washington State and Miami.  

"A lot of times you see these five-star recruits, they get everything early on," Ward's high school coach, Brent Mascheck, told Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein before the draft in April. "It put a little chip on Cam's shoulder, and it made him what he is today." 

The low "Madden" rating should fuel Ward, who is potentially being overlooked once again.