Titans QB Cam Ward Shows Progress, NFL Sources Cite Improvement Despite Mechanic Concerns

With 1:48 remaining in the Titans ' Week 2 matchup against the Eagles, Tennessee had Philadelphia facing a third-and-6 from its own 39-yard line and needed just two defensive stops to capitalize on a Cam Ward-led go-ahead scoring drive and secure a quality early-season victory.

Instead, the Eagles converted the third down, later converted another and ultimately scored a late game-winning touchdown on their way to a 24-20 win that prevented what would have otherwise gone down as a late game-winning scoring drive for Ward and the Titans.

Still, Ward's work late in that game, including a 41-yard completion to set up a go-ahead field goal with 1:56 remaining, isn't forgotten inside the Tennessee building or among opposing coaches.

While the 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick ranks just 25th in the NFL in quarterback rating and remains an obvious work in progress, it's also been emphasized by NFL coaches and front-office staffers that he has continued to improve -- even if it's not clear through the stats -- and that it's still premature to make any big judgments regarding the second-year quarterback.

"He's still not anywhere where he needs to be, but he has gotten better," an NFL front-office staffer familiar with Ward said. "His makeup, how he's wired, the type of worker that he is, all of that is so legit. The guy is ultra-wired and driven to be ultra-successful and he is so talented.

"Some of the main problems have been that, even when he's protected, footwork, a lack of clean mechanics, accuracy, ball placement and easy completions for missed. But on a positive note, it's not for a lack of not seeing it. He clearly knows where to go with the ball. He's just missing on some of this stuff."

The ups and downs from Ward have contributed to an 0-3 start for Tennessee and an average of just 12.3 points per game, which ranks third-worst in the NFL. Making that more frustrating for the Titans is a feeling that the offensive line has been much better protecting Ward, giving up only five sacks through three games after he was sacked an NFL-high 55 times as a rookie last season. Also, Tennessee added multiple new weapons for him this offseason, including Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick in the draft and Wan'Dale Robinson as a free agent with a four-year, $70 million contract.

Nevertheless, in the eyes of the Titans, there have been reasons for encouragement with Ward, too, including the aforementioned Eagles game and also his work during the fourth quarter of Tennessee's 12-7 loss to the Giants last week.

Ward led a 91-yard fourth-quarter touchdown drive as well as a 70-yard drive on the Titans' next possession that had Tennessee on the cusp of a game-winning touchdown before a bad game-sealing interception from Ward on a first-and-goal from New York's 7-yard line with 14 seconds remaining.

Prior to the interception, Ward was 13 of 16 for 110 yards with a touchdown pass during that fourth quarter against the Giants.

"He was making all of the plays that needed to be made," an NFL front-office staffer said." But then he makes the mistake (on the interception) when he needed to just throw that ball away. The guy really does have all the ability in the world to be a playmaker. The question is just: Is a guy who's special trait is to be a playmaker really what you want in what you hope is a consistent winning starting quarterback?"

TBD.

Clearly, the Titans want Ward to have more than two touchdown passes and better than an average of 168 yards per game through these first three games. Still, multiple NFL sources have thrown out the reminder to CBS Sports this week that this is Ward's fifth different offensive coordinator in the last five years dating back to college and that he should still be categorized as a rookie to a certain degree because of being in this new system under first-year Tennessee offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

One NFL front-office staffer also noted, even with Josh Allen , that Allen posted 10 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions as a rookie under Daboll in 2018 before making a jump in Year 2 and eventually becoming a four-time Pro Bowl selection and an NFL MVP in Buffalo.

By no means is that to say that Ward, who threw for 3,159 yards and 15 touchdowns as a rookie, is going to end up like Allen. It's more, as that front-office staffer noted, just a reminder that it's important to be patient with young quarterbacks, especially when they're showing flashes of high-level ability.

It's also why, as that front-office staffer emphasized, it's still way too early to make any great determination on Ward at this point.

"He's gotten better with his decision-making, command of the offense, knowing where to go with the ball, taking care of the football, not just trying to be a playmaker all the time and also poise in the pocket, even though he still needs to improve with that because he's still flushing from some clean pockets, but he is much more comfortable from the pocket," that front-office staffer said.

"I'm personally not judging him yet because everything is still new for him right now. Also, what is the public expectation versus what an organizational expectation should be where, hey, this is a young rebuilding football team and he's part of that. Are we judging him a little too harshly because of what we want him to be versus what it's actually fair to expect him to be at this stage? I don't know."

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/cam-ward-titans-development-nfl-insiders-early-struggles/)._