Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward has the type of story made for a football movie, and he’s in the “welcome to the league” portion right now.
The Texas native began his collegiate career as a zero-star recruit at Incarnate Word (San Antonio) in 2020, the only Division I school to offer him a scholarship. He then won the Jerry Rice Award as the most outstanding freshman in the FCS for the 2020-21 campaign before earning Southland Conference Player of the Year honors as a sophomore. He then spent his next two seasons at Washington State before winning ACC Player of the Year and consensus All-American honors at Miami in 2024.
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After that, the Titans selected Ward No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the 23-year-old ranks 33rd in the league with a 24.0 QBR.
A report mentioning Ward that surfaced on Saturday discussed Tennessee’s trade deadline plans, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) and running back Tony Pollard (20) Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
“The Tennessee Titans are open to dealing ahead of the NFL trade deadline, but sources told ESPN on Saturday that they are unwilling to part with their most important players — rookie quarterback Cam Ward and star defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons,” he reported.
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“Teams have been monitoring the last-place Titans (1-6), who fired head coach Brian Callahan earlier this month and named Mike McCoy as his interim replacement,” he continued. “The Titans are willing to listen to trade offers on players such as tight end Chig Okonkwo, cornerback Roger McCreary and outside linebacker Arden Key, sources told ESPN.”
Titans Must Be Patient With Cam Ward
It’s no surprise that Tennessee won’t trade the rookie, as it drafted him to be its franchise quarterback. Playing seven games on a losing team is not a big enough sample size to assess his worth.
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Although Ward’s stats don’t jump off the page, he’s also in a difficult situation. The 6-foot-2, 219-pounder does have former All-Pro wide receiver Calvin Ridley at his disposal, but the Titans don’t have another wideout who’s had a 1,000-yard season.
Okonkwo, whose career high is 528 yards, gives him a safety blanket over the middle. But having only two notable targets isn’t ideal for a first-year signal-caller.
Up next for Tennessee is a road game against the 6-1 Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The game will start at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS.
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Related: NFL Announces Triple Punishment for Titans on Saturday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.