Cam Ward comments offer further intel on why Titans fired Brian Callahan

Brian Callahan fell to 4-19 during his tenure as head coach of the Tennessee Titans before he was unceremoniously fired on Monday. 

Before Callahan's dismissal became official, Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward spoke with Michael Silver of The Athletic for a piece published on Tuesday. Ward's comments may show why those running the Titans felt that eliminating Callahan from the equation was the best thing for Ward's ongoing development. 

Cam Ward wasn't playing how he wanted, expected under Brian Callahan

"I’m not playing how I want to play right now," Ward said. "So, once I play how I want to play, I think the league will be f-----."

Ward offered that declaration two days before the Titans dropped to 1-5 on the season via an ugly 20-10 loss at the Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) this past Sunday. ESPN stats show that the first overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft ended Week 6 ranked last in the league among qualified players with a 24.9 adjusted QBR. Over his first six games, Ward completed just 55 percent of 202 pass attempts for 1,101 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions. 

Cam Ward addresses controversial comments from earlier in season

After the Titans lost a fourth straight game to open the season, Ward raised eyebrows and attracted some criticism when he said he felt Tennessee was "a--." He had an opportunity to walk that quote back ahead of the Raiders game. 

"I didn’t care," Ward said about negative reactions to his quote. "It was true. And that’s how we played those previous weeks. But I think the biggest thing is that nobody in the locker room pointed fingers; we just kept working. (My teammates) knew where I was coming from. Now, I could have helped out some people in regards of just (giving them a heads-up that) they’re gonna get asked the question. I could’ve helped them out that way. But they knew what I meant, and they knew how we were playing. So, they knew we were a--."

Former San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy was a senior offensive assistant with the Titans before he was elevated to the role of interim head coach on Monday. McCoy is now tasked with ensuring the rest of Ward's rookie season doesn't ruin the 23-year-old beyond repair. 

The McCoy-led Titans will next host the New England Patriots (4-2) this coming Sunday. That game will be the first time that Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel goes against the franchise that employed him from 2018 through the 2023 season.