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Titans' Cam Ward Earns Patrick Mahomes Comparison
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during the first half against the Chicago Bears. Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward would like to be where Patrick Mahomes has been.

Mahomes has been to the AFC Championship in each of the past seven years, making it to the Super Bowl in five of those seasons and winning it three times. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick compared Ward to Mahomes on ESPN.

"Look when I made comparisons to Patrick Mahomes in terms of play style, the arm angles, looking like he's like a shortstop throw on the first base, you saw it in the preseason," Riddick said.

"Mike Borgonzi, the GM, said he's seen it. And Mike Borgonzi was in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes. Cam Ward is the truth. Cam Ward is a transformational player. He's going to transform that organization in Tennessee back to the top."

Mahomes threw for just over 5,000 yards in his first full season as a starter, but that came with a year of learning behind Alex Smith, who was the starter at the time. Only five rookies have been able to throw for over 4,000 yards in their first season: Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2015), Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers, 2011), C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans, 2023), Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers, 2020) and Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts, 2012).

Ward getting into that elite club with all of those quarterbacks would make his first season a remarkable one. It would immediately set a different tone for the Titans moving forward as an organization knowing that they have their franchise quarterback set for the next several years.

If Ward can throw for over 4,000 yards and play like Mahomes, the wins will eventually start to come. There are still a lot of places within the roster that need improvement, but quarterback has been the primary issue for a while.

Getting Ward to show his skills as the franchise quarterback of the future would put the Titans at ease going into the second half of the decade.

Ward and the Titans are getting closer to the Week 1 opener on Sunday, Sept. 7 against the Denver Broncos.

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

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