As the winless Titans prepare for a reunion with their former coach, the young quarterback reflects on the vital leadership lessons that accelerated his professional growth.
In Week 1, the Tennessee Titans had a reunion involving head coach Robert Saleh.
Saleh coached against his former team, the New York Jets. He was the head coach there from 2021-24. That reunion didn't go very well, as the Titans lost 23-10 at home to open the year.
Week 2 had the Titans playing the Philadelphia Eagles. The Titans played with a fire we didn't see in the season opener, but still lost 24-20 on a heartbreaking last-second touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to Darius Cooper.
The team looked improved, but the Titans are still 0-2 heading into Week 3.
There's going to be another reunion for many of the team's players this weekend. The Titans are facing the New York Giants.
Brian Callahan is on the staff as the quarterbacks coach. He was fired halfway through Cam Ward's rookie season after a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Callahan has already been asked what it will be like to see Ward again. He wished him the best but hoped that the Giants' defense was prepared for him.
On Wednesday, we heard from Ward about what he thought of Callahan. This will be the first time the quarterback has seen his former head coach since the coach was fired last year.
Callahan isn't the only former Titans coach on the Giants' staff. Former defensive coordinator Denard Wilson has the same role with the Giants.
Tim Kelly is also now with the Giants. Kelly was the Titans' passing game coordinator in 2022 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023.
If we're being honest, everyone wants to know what Ward thought of Callahan. The quarterback let us know how he felt about his former head coach.
"He's a player's coach," Ward said. "He was very, I would say, upfront with everything, especially with me. He taught me everything that I had to get better at and helped me get better at a lot of things when I first came in. The offense that, you know, we had last year was very challenging in terms of a rookie to come in and learn, but it's also a great offense to, you know, be a part of because, you know, you get to set certain things up for specific players, whether it's myself or the receiving corps, to get open. I think with him, you know, he's helped me elevate my game as far as my last year; my rookie level is just seeing the field, you know, better."
Ward looked back kindly on what he learned from Callahan. He noted that Callahan was a true player's coach and was very straightforward with the team.
It's great that Ward and Callahan have exchanged kind words about each other, but the reality is that the Titans quarterback played much better after he was fired.
In the nine weeks, Ward threw for 1,760 passing yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions. Then he slowly started to improve under interim HC Mike McCoy.
Ward led the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio from Weeks 10-18, recording 1,406 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and one interception.
This will be a big moment for Ward, as he'll see his former head coach across the sideline from him. The Titans and Giants both have something to prove on Sunday.
The Titans are searching for their first win under Saleh, and the Giants are attempting to overcome the loss of their starting quarterback, Jaxson Dart, to a season-ending knee injury.
One team will come out the winner.
Kickoff from MetLife Stadium is at noon CT on CBS this Sunday.
