Titans rookie QB Cam Ward threw ball into skirmish with Buccaneers

"Yeah, I had a target," Ward said while smiling after Thursday's practice. "I was trying to hit one of them boys in a red jersey. It was good. That's what football comes to. We dapped it up after practice. It ain't no big deal. Team's got my back. [It's] gonna have mine. We might have another little skirmish, but I know we're going to be together."

Ward, 23, said the team told him to stay away from fights in the future to avoid a serious injury. He also doesn't need to get involved to win over the locker room when he's already doing so. 

Throughout the offseason, Ward has reportedly held meetings with his fellow rookies between 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. every day. He hasn't backed down when veterans have challenged him, either.

At mandatory minicamp in June, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons got in his face during practice. Tennessee right tackle JC Latham said the QB then head-butted the three-time Pro Bowler. 

The incident didn't anger the star defensive lineman. Instead, it made him respect the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. 

"That right there showed me we got us one," Simmons said on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" in July. 

Ward's clearly hard-headed, but his leadership style could be what the downtrodden franchise needs. Tennessee has won seven or fewer games for three straight seasons. In 2024, the Titans went 3-14. 

Ward may reignite the team. Still, he should stick to hurling passes to his teammates and not at opposing players.