Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws during the Tennessee Titans first day of training camp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Titans' Cam Ward Already Ahead in One Key Area

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Jared Koch | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Heading into the 2025 NFL season and training camps getting underway, for the Tennessee Titans, all eyes both in and outside of the building are centered upon this offseason's first-overall pick, Cam Ward, what could be soon to come for his first season pro, and how exactly he could change the landscape of this franchise that's had a bit of a sputtering direction in recent years.

And while it's only been a few months in the building for Ward since being drafted, he's already landed some considerable respect from one notable veteran teammate in the building with training camp beginning this week: running back Tony Pollard.

During Titans camp, Pollard broke down a bit of what he's seen from Ward during his time with the team, crediting one huge factor that's made him stand out significantly as a rookie: his leadership.

"I look at Cam [Ward] like a little brother," Pollard said. "He's a guy, he's like a natural leader. It's rare that you find a young guy like that, that comes in with the energy of a young guy that just comes in with the energy, and the focus at the same time as an old vet. I think we really got a good one."

.@Titans RB Tony Pollard @Tp__5 after Thursday’s practice. pic.twitter.com/MwPbFLRuOD
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) July 24, 2025

Not only has Pollard been able to see just the type of player the Titans have on and off the field in Ward, but he's also secured a solid relationship with his rookie signal caller in the process.

For a quarterback-running back duo, having that tight connection down the stretch of any NFL season is critical.

"The running back-quarterback relationship is huge," Pollard continued. "During their season, we're their best friends. We protect them. We keep hits off of them. And when the pocket breaks down, sometimes we're that checkdown option. When the designed play doesn't work, we're the guy that he normally can look for."

It's clearly been a good start for the Titans' runner and their new rookie quarterback, and we're still well over a month away from the regular season kicking off in September. So far, so good for Cam Ward.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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