The former Miami standout says his offense is showing signs of trending in the right direction.
Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward on facing the Bucs in a joint practice Thursday: “This (is) one of the best defenses out there in the league. They gave us some good work."
Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward on facing the Bucs in a joint practice Thursday: “This (is) one of the best defenses out there in the league. They gave us some good work."
TAMPA — Cam Ward’s blunt assessment of the Titans’ offense made headlines last week.
“I just think we’re very mid right now,” Ward, the first overall pick in April’s draft, told reporters in Nashville.
On Thursday, Ward struck a more positive tone after his team’s joint practice with the Bucs.
Performance in training camp can be challenging to assess, but Ward is well-versed in the subtleties of progress on the practice field.
He started his college football career at Football Championship Subdivision’s Incarnate Word as a zero-star recruit before breaking out at Washington State. After initially declaring for the 2024 NFL draft, Ward transferred to Miami, where he was a Heisman Trophy finalist as his draft stock rose all the way to the top.
So, perhaps Ward should be taken at his word as he attempts to catalyze the rebuilding Titans.
“I think things went good,” Ward said Thursday. “We battled adversity throughout the day, but that’s gonna come with the game of football.”
The Bucs were a welcome challenge. Facing a playoff team is exactly the kind of experience Tennessee needs as it tries to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 season, Ward said.
“This (is) one of the best defenses out there in the league,“ Ward said. ”They gave us some good work. I think both groups got better."
![Cam Ward catches a snapped ball while he works on a drill during training camp. “It is starting to click,” Ward says of settling in as an NFL QB. “It just comes with more reps.”](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 620 413"/%3E)
Cam Ward catches a snapped ball while he works on a drill during training camp. “It is starting to click,” Ward says of settling in as an NFL QB. “It just comes with more reps.”
Linebacker Haason Reddick immediately made things difficult for Ward during 11-on-11 play by intercepting his first pass attempt.
“I tried throwing around him. I didn’t throw it far enough inside,” Ward said. “It’s about how you respond.”
Ward got to remain on the field after his interception, an immediate opportunity to correct his mistake unique to practice play.
The Titans offense drove into Bucs territory without Ward uncorking a deep pass. An incisive short- and medium-distance passing game is essential against the Bucs defense, Titans wide receiver Tyler Lockett said after practice. Tampa Bay’s defensive line is too formidable for a quarterback to hold onto the ball long enough for deeper routes to develop.
“They’re going to make it tough,” Lockett said. “You got to be able to find open zone, and the quarterback (has) to be able to fit it in there. You just got to be able to create drives.”
Titans head coach Brian Callahan shared a similar sentiment ahead of practice when asked about what he hoped to see from Ward.
“There’s only so many things you can do in football,” Callahan said. “It’s good for him to be able to go out and just try to execute what we’re asking him to execute.”
“We stuck to that the whole day, just taking what they give us,” Ward said later. “You can’t force it.”
Ward threw a few touchdown passes during situational red-zone work, which he attributed a better understanding of defensive looks pre-snaps. If he can recognize where the ball needs to go before the snap, Ward said, making the throws becomes easier.
“It is starting to click,” said Ward, who at Miami set the single-season record for passing yards (4,313) and touchdowns (39). “It just comes with more reps.”
Part of the process for Ward has been his coaching staff purposely making training camp as challenging as possible for him, Callahan said.
“(As a) quarterback ... You’re probably gonna get the most adversity of any other position,” Lockett said. “I think he’s doing a great job each and every day.”
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