Why Titans' Tyler Lockett didn't mind seeing Cam Ward involved in scuffle

Tennessee Titans  rookie quarterback Cam Ward and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons generated headlines when they were involved in an on-the-field scuffle on Monday.

During a recent appearance on "The Jim Rome Show," Titans wide receiver Tyler Lockett explained why he didn't mind seeing Ward stand his ground. 

"His competitive level is up there with everybody else with the mentality of always wanting to win and always wanting to be great," Lockett said about Ward, Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith shared. "He’s always going to chase edges, and that’s one of the cool things we like about him. I think he’s learning what to do and what not to do. Obviously we would never want him to put himself in that position, especially during a game, but we understand how he has our back, and we have his back."

Per ESPN's Turron Davenport, Ward gave Simmons a shove and then performed his signature "Zombieland" celebration after tossing a touchdown pass near the end of Monday's session. Simmons retaliated before the two were quickly separated by teammates.

Both Ward and Simmons said later that the incident had been blown out of proportion by the media. However, it may be worth mentioning that previous reports detailed how the two have engaged in some back-and-forth trash talk since spring.

"I don’t think it was anything that was serious," Lockett added about the latest Ward-Simmons tussle. "I think it was kind of taken out of proportion, and once it hit the media and blew up, it became a crazy story. I think one of the things that’s cool to see is when you have a quarterback that’s willing to fight for you or willing to go to bat tle for you, and compete at the level he’s willing to compete at, it just makes everybody have his back that much more." 

Ward has repeatedly received praise from coaches and teammates for how he embraced his role as the offense's CEO even before 2023 second-round draft pick Will Levis' shoulder surgery ended a supposed QB1 competition.

The 2025 first overall pick now must realize that part of being a leader involves knowing when not to provoke a teammate.