Saturday marked the NFL debut of highly touted quarterback prospect Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. Did he live up to expectations? Yes, and his performance hinted at a promising future. The rookie drew praise after a composed performance in the 29-7 preseason defeat against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ward completed 5-of-8 passes for 67 yards, leading a touchdown drive on his second series.
Titans coach Brian Callahan summed up the performance as “some good, some bad,” citing the debut for several new faces. “A lot of guys getting their first NFL action. Cam played well in the two series he got,” Callahan said. “I thought he did some good things, and it was encouraging.”
Ward’s first series ended in a three-and-out punt. On the next drive, Ward completed passes of 27, 10 and 13 yards to Calvin Ridley, added a seven-yard pass to Tyler Lockett and hit Chigoziem Okonkwo for 10 yards on third down. Then, he had an 11-play, 65-yard drive, which Tony Pollard ended with a one-yard touchdown run.
“It felt good operation-wise,” Ward said. “We really didn’t have any missed assignments. The biggest thing was us being able to play in a real-game atmosphere together, getting the vibe of each other.”
After Ward exited, Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle finished the game at quarterback.
