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The Tennessee Titans came up lacking in their preseason opener against the Buccaneers, but quarterback Cam Ward got off on a good foot. Plus, the rookie received nice words from head coach Brian Callahan. And here are two hot takes from Ward’s brief preseason debut with the Titans.
Tampa Bay racked up a 29-7 win with Ward playing long enough to complete 5 of 8 passes for 67 yards. He had no touchdown tosses, interceptions, or sacks. Also, he didn’t have a rushing attempt.
The hot takes involve Callahan walking away impressed, according to ESPN. And Ward landed on the pleased side with his performance.
“I thought Cam played well, the two series that he got,” Callahan said.
Titans rookie QB Cam Ward making strides
Callahan said it wasn’t a normal preseason contest.
“It was kind of a weird first half with three possessions,” Callahan said. “He had one three-and-out, then came back with a touchdown drive. He started to feel comfortable and was begging to go back in, but that was not in the cards tonight.”
Ward said he felt good about leading the team into the end zone.
“It was a lot guys' first time playing together, but it felt good to come up with points,” Ward said. “I wanted to go out for a third (series) … but Coach Callahan has a plan for us. We'll stick to his plan.”
Callahan admitted Ward only took baby steps, according to tennesseetitans.com.
“Cam certainly hasn't arrived yet,” Callahan said. “We have a lot of things we're still working on. I thought it was a good start for him, encouraging. It was productive. But there's a couple of things we're going to keep grinding on. Still working on getting the ball out fast, still working on the timing of it. There's plenty of things we're still working on with Cam.”
Callahan said the Titans are trying to make things fit together on offense, according to Yahoo.com. If that is successful, it will make Ward’s job easier and progress faster, according to a post on X by Jim Wyatt.
“Callahan: We're still striving to get better on offense. Cam Ward has shown growth, and that's encouraging. There's still growth to be had, but that's what training camp is all about. I feel good about our trajectory @Titans”
Ward said he wants to improve his efficiency every time his team gets the ball, according to tennessean.com.
“I just think my biggest (takeaway) is I’ve got to maximize my drives,” Ward said. “I had a three-and-out in the first quarter and that was all we did. So I’ve got to maximize my drives and just try to continuously move the chains. You’ve got to give the defense a break.
“It felt good just to get more than three plays under our belt. To get a rhythm as an offense. It was a lot of guys’ first time playing together, so it felt good to come up with points.”
The outlook is still thin for Ward in 2025. He ranks No. 25 among NFL quarterbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
“One of two rookie quarterbacks projected to start in Week 1, Ward will need plenty to fall into place as the Titans work through a still-flawed roster,” John Kosko wrote. “He delivered 31 big-time throws in 2024 and finished as the second-highest-graded passer among drafted quarterbacks. At minimum, he should offer an upgrade over Will Levis.”
Overall, Titans fans need to check their expectations, according to Paul Kuharsky.com.
“Many observers want to set sky-high expectations,” Kuharsky wrote. “Like Ward is the franchise-savior and will take the Titans to never-before-seen heights -then take every positive development as him meeting them, while minimizing any errors as inconvenient to the storyline.
“Perhaps Ward will be that for Tennessee. But if I were a fan of the team, I’d be rooting for development and patiently watching it unfold instead of setting what are more likely to be unrealistic hopes. Set a pace. My suggestion: Ask for him to be better than Marcus Mariota as a rookie, with fewer sacks and better health, before counting on him to be mentioned with Patrick Mahomes.”
