Why No. 1 pick Cam Ward and the Titans are a perfect match

Ben Arthur

NFL Reporter

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On a Fortnite live stream a couple weeks ago, Cam Ward heaped praise on the Titans.

He called Brian Callahan, who led Tennessee to a league-worst 3-14 record last season, the best coach in the NFL. He put Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears on his list of the league’s top four running backs. Calvin Ridley and Treylon Burks, the team’s disappointing 2022 first-round pick, cracked his list of top-four NFL wide receivers.

“A.J. Brown’s a dawg,” Ward said, “but he’s no Calvin Ridley.”

That’s how the former Miami quarterback told the world that he expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft without actually saying it. He did so in a way that built up his new coach and teammates, which can’t be understated. He appears to have genuine excitement about coming to Tennessee.

Understand that Nashville isn’t a place every NFL prospect wants to be, especially now, considering the dysfunction that has engulfed the Titans. Owner Amy Adams Strunk has fired a head coach and two general managers in the past 28 months. Two NFL teams, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, won more games in 2024 (regular season and playoffs) than Tennessee has won over the past three years combined. Many league observers view the Titans as having the league’s most talent-deficient roster.

All that has contributed to peak discontentment in the fan base, at a time when the franchise wants to generate enthusiasm for the team’s new stadium, which is expected to be completed in 2027.

This is why Ward’s language regarding the team is so noteworthy.

“They have a pretty elite team in my opinion,” he said at NFL Draft availability in Green Bay. “They don’t get enough credit, on paper, for what they really are.”

In many ways, Ward and the Titans are the perfect marriage. They have a shared story of being overlooked, of being seen but not always respected.

Ward, a former zero-star recruit from a little Texas town, was viewed as a mid-round pick at this time last spring before transferring to Miami. Then there are the Titans, a small-market franchise that has struggled to gain national interest, even in their best years. Tennessee had the lowest average viewership of any NFL team last season at 5.61 million, according to Sportico. (The Jacksonville Jaguars ranked second-worst at 6.4 million; the Detroit Lions led the league at 22.65 million.)

Of course, Ward’s talent is not a guarantee of a brighter future. The hit rate on first-round quarterbacks is extremely low, something the Titans know all too well. Since moving to Tennessee in 1997, the franchise has selected three other quarterbacks in the top 10: Marcus Mariota (No. 2, 2015), Jake Locker (No. 8, 2014) and Vince Young (No. 3, 2006). None played more than five seasons for the Titans, and the trio combined for just one playoff victory.

But Ward has nothing to do with that history. His supreme confidence, constant throughout his unorthodox journey, gives him a chance to be successful. His pocket presence, arm talent, creativity and processing ability give him a chance to be a star.

The Davey O’Brien and Manning award winner as the nation’s top quarterback in 2024, Ward set Miami single-season records for passing yards (4,313) and touchdowns (39). He also broke the Division I record (FCS and FBS) for career passing touchdowns (158).

“The tape says everything I believe, and I’m honest to that,” Ward said at the combine when asked what makes him the best quarterback in this draft. “But I think just what separates me from everybody is the way I approach it, the mindset that I have going onto the field each and every game. And I mean, coming from my journey, not a lot of people can do that. So I just think it shows the work that I’m willing to put in whether I go first round or second round. At the end of the day, that draft pick don’t mean nothing. It’s all about establishing yourself once you get the opportunity.”

At the Titans’ pre-draft press conference on Tuesday, a reporter asked Callahan about Ward’s Fortnite live stream. After acknowledging that he hadn’t seen it, the Titans coach was informed of the praise Ward lavished on the Titans.

“Cam is a smart person,” Callahan said, smiling. “He’s got an awareness of his audience, sounds like.”

That audience is now officially his fan base.

Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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