What does the firing mean for Cam Ward’s future?
Selecting a QB No. 1 overall doesn’t cure problems. Recently, it underscores that they aren’t a panacea for bad coaching. The past four QBs taken with the first draft pick have all seen their head coaches fired in the middle of their first season: Trevor Lawrence, Urban Meyer with Jacksonville in 2021; Bryce Young, Frank Reich with Carolina in 2023; Caleb Williams, Matt Eberflus with Chicago in 2024; Ward, Callahan in 2025.
Ward has shown flashes of excellent upside. He’s also shown the downside of playing on a rudderless team with little help.
The Titans offense has been an inefficient mess all season. The offensive line, which Tennessee has tried but failed to upgrade for the past several years, remains a sieve. The run game is stuck in the mud. And the pass catchers have dropped a slew of balls, unable to help out the rookie QB.
Ward has had his own issues. He’s turned the ball over — tossing four interceptions and fumbling four times, including two lost on Sunday — and has taken a league-high 25 sacks. Ward sometimes gets into trouble trying to fit the ball into tight windows, trusting his arm. He also holds the ball too long, looking for the big play instead of taking a layup. To be fair, the system hasn’t exactly schemed him up a lot of easy throws, and drops have been a bugaboo.
The flashes – however brief – have been excellent. Owning a howitzer, Ward has a top-shelf arm. When he sees a play develop, he can rip it, looking like prime Matthew Stafford. In the fourth quarter of the Titans’ only win, Ward showed his upside in hurry-up mode, splashing deep shots, marching down the field and picking apart a tired, banged-up defense.
The concern is that we haven’t seen enough of these flashes early in the season. The coaching staff shoulders part of that blame. So too does Ward. For the next 12 weeks, the only real thing that matters in Tennessee is Ward’s development. Even baby steps will benefit the passer.
The next coach must have a plan for Ward to succeed where Callahan failed.