Executives share defense of, concerns about Titans' Cam Ward

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward has produced a mixed bag of performances throughout his rookie season that will come to an end when the 3-13 Titans play at the 12-4 Jacksonville Jaguars this coming Sunday. 

For a piece published on Tuesday, Jeff Howe of The Athletic spoke with unnamed NFL executives about what Ward has and hasn't been for the Titans since Week 1. 

Titans must help Cam Ward with offseason acquisitions

"He’s running for his life most of the time," one executive said about Ward. "His offensive line is terrible. You grade when things are done right, as much as you can. Throw out the negative plays when they aren’t his fault. Take some of those, too, to see where he can learn and fix things. You look for the flashes, and then hope they can really push it into next year."

Pro Football Reference shows that Ward and Geno Smith of the Las Vegas Raiders took a league-high 55 sacks over the campaign's first 17 weeks. To compare, Chicago Bears starter Caleb Williams took a league-worst 68 sacks as a rookie last season. 

While Williams dealt with the in-season firings of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and head coach Matt Eberflus as a first-year pro, the Titans dismissed second-year head coach Brian Callahan this past October. The Bears ultimately hired Ben Johnson as their new head coach, and they will enter the upcoming postseason tournament as champions of the NFC North. 

Cam Ward isn't a finished product

According to Pro Football Reference, Ward is ranked last in the league among qualified players with a 32.1 adjusted QBR and 31st out of 32 signal-callers with a 59.6 percent completion percentage on the season. Such numbers show he has plenty to improve over the first eight months of 2026.

"The great equalizer is his ability to scramble and make plays," one executive said about Ward. "Who knows if he’ll ever be strong on schedule. It’s hard to know how much it’s sustainable to make plays off schedule outside of the offense."

It is, of course, far too early to know who the Titans will hire to be their next full-time head coach. One executive noted that Ward having to learn a new offense for the second time in two years "doesn’t help" as it pertains to Tennessee getting the most out of his talents. 

As Johnson and Williams have shown, however, the right marriage involving a coach and quarterback can result in a franchise turning things around ahead of schedule.