Despite a rough 3-15 start and coaching upheaval, statistical comparisons to previous top picks suggest the franchise quarterback needs patience to overcome early offensive struggles in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Since then, it hasn't been smooth sailing for him.
Ward went 3-14 as the starter in his first year with the team. He threw for 3,169 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
During that season, Ward's head coach Brian Callahan was fired. He then had to learn under interim head coach Mike McCoy for the second half of the year.
After an offseason of hype and anticipation, Ward and the Titans fell flat in the season opener against the New York Jets on Sunday
The Titans lost 23-10 to the Jets in a game they should've won, or at least looked better in.
The Titans were bad all around, but Ward especially looked out of sorts. The game started with a kickoff out of bounds, and things gradually got worse throughout the contest.
There were special teams miscues and defensive struggles, and the offense couldn't sustain drives.
Ward finished with 140 passing yards and one touchdown. He completed 19-of-32 passes and struggled to get the ball to his receivers.
This was not what fans imagined the season opener would look like, especially with all the upgrades they gave Ward.
From Wan'Dale Robinson to Carnell Tate, Ward's receivers are much better than they were last year. Ward has even gotten two new starting offensive linemen, Austin Schlottmann and Fernando Carmona.
Ward has been the recipient of some criticism lately, and I don't think that it's all necessarily warranted. At a recent press conference, Ward said he still believed he was a good quarterback, but a reporter questioned his stats.
Ward is now 3-15 as a starting quarterback, but compared to how other former No. 1 picks at the position have done, he really isn't doing too badly.
Let's look at how Caleb Williams (2024), Trevor Lawrence (2021) and Bryce Young (2023) all fared in their first 18 games.
Williams went 5-13 and threw for 3,751 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. He had 547 rushing and one touchdown as well.
Lawrence went 3-15, throwing for 3,916 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. He ran for 338 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
With Young, he led the Carolina Panthers to a 2-16 record, finishing with 3,122 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He had 271 rushing yards and one touchdown.
After adding the stats from Sunday's game, Ward now has 3,309 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He has 180 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
We also have to understand that when a quarterback is drafted No. 1 overall, they are typically not getting put into a good situation.
We can tell just by looking at how bad the team was around Ward as a rookie. His starting receivers were Calvin Ridley, Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett. His offensive line was also wildly inconsistent, allowing the sixth most sacks in the NFL last year.
When you think about it, Williams and Young aren't even true former No. 1 overall picks. That trade in 2023 allowed both of them to select their quarterbacks.
The Bears had the No. 1 pick in 2023 but then traded it for D.J. Moore. The Panthers selected Young, and the Bears got the No. 1 pick in 2024 from that trade and chose Williams.
So, really, the only true No. 1 overall picks here are Ward and Lawrence, because their teams were the worst in the NFL the season before.
I've seen Ward's first 18 starts compared to Josh Allen's recently as well. Allen wasn't a former No. 1 overall pick, but it's worth noting that Ward has better stats than he did, too.
Allen had 3,493 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.
I understand that, given how the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots turned things around in such a short time, fans want to see improvements from Ward.
I think it's way too early to start giving up on the quarterback, especially after seeing how other former No. 1 overall picks have performed in their first 18 starts.
When you look at the numbers, Ward isn't doing as badly as everyone thinks. Ward has actually been better than these quarterbacks so far and deserves more time. We're only in his second year in the league.
It's important to remember that people were concerned about Williams heading into last year. He didn't look very special after the first game against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Chicago Bears lost 27-24, and Williams threw for 210 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception, completing 21-of-35 attempts. Williams was given time by the Bears coaching staff, and now he is being considered a potential MVP candidate for 2026.
If you want to include Young and Lawrence's stats in the first game of their second season, for posterity's sake, we can.
Young lost 47-10 and went for 161 passing yards, with two interceptions, completing 13-of-30 attempts. Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars lost 28-22 in their 2022 season opener. Lawrence threw for 275 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception with 24-of-42 completions.
After looking at this, it's clear that Ward deserves more time to prove himself. Life in the NFL is never easy, especially for a young quarterback.
Recent history shows us that everyone needs to pump their brakes and give Ward time.
