Titans receive major news on QB Cam Ward's shoulder injury

A disappointing season ended on a brutal note for the Tennessee Titans when Cam Ward suffered a shoulder injury during Sunday's blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the rookie quarterback has since received some positive news.

The Titans jumped out to an early lead in their 41-7 loss to the Jaguars when Ward ran for a seven-yard touchdown on Tennessee's first offensive possession. The No. 1 overall pick landed awkwardly on his right arm at the tail end of the play, however, and he was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game with a shoulder injury.

Tests have since determined that Ward does not need to undergo surgery. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Monday that Ward has an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, which should only be a minor issue now that the Titans' season has officially ended.

Cam Ward had a tough rookie season

Had Ward needed surgery, he would have had to potentially wait a lot longer to begin offseason activities. That would have been significant, as there is plenty of work for both him and Tennessee's offense to do in the coming months.

Ward started every game for the Titans this season. He completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Ward also ran for 159 yards and two scores.

The Titans finished 3-14, but Ward showed some signs of growth toward the end of the season. He had just one interception over the final nine games of the year. Of Tennessee's three wins, two came in the final five games of the season. Ward's improvement in protecting the ball was a direct factor in that.

Titans have many issues to address

The Titans were the first team to fire their head coach this season when they parted ways with Brian Callahan after a 1-5 start. They are expected to interview Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and former Green Bay Packers/Dallas Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy, which shows that they might be committed to bringing in a coach who can help with Ward's development.

Growing pains were expected after Ward inherited a team that went 3-14 last year, but there was very little improvement shown by the Titans this season. That places even more pressure on them to find the right coach, so they will likely take their time and conduct a wide-reaching search.