Like many No. 1 picks before him, Cam Ward walked into a tough situation when he was drafted by the Titans, and has mostly struggled as a result.
Through six games, Ward has completed 55% of his passes for 1,101 yards, three touchdowns and four picks. The Titans have started 1-5, with their lone win coming thanks to an improbable collapse by the Cardinals in Week 5. After a disastrous loss to the Raiders this weekend, Tennessee already decided to fire head coach Brian Callahan.
Ward doesn't have a great supporting cast around him, but he is well aware he's also not playing great. He told The Athletic's Mike Silver last week before Callahan's firing that he'd give himself an "F" grade for his performance so far.
"It’s frustrating for me because I’m not playing how I want to play," Ward told Silver. "I can’t play no damn worse. I can, but s—, I ain’t trying to. The only way is up.”
Though Ward knows he has yet to play up to his own standards, he still feels boldy confident in what he will do once he begins performing better.
“I’m not playing how I want to play right now,” he said. “So, once I play how I want to play, I think the league will be f—ed.”
Ward has not shied away from making bold or even blunt statements early in his NFL career. After the Titans began the season 0-4, he said, "If we keep it a buck right now, we ass." Even when some Titans balked at those comments, he remained true to what he said.
Much of the Titans' dysfunction over the last few years—from trading A.J. Brown to firing multiple general managers and head coaches—is out of Ward's control, but the young quarterback is doing what he can to take the continue his development. Per Silver, Ward has impressed the Titans with his work ethic, and often watches film of great quarterbacks like Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers as he works to catch up with the speed of the game.
“I’m trying to watch some, you know, productive quarterbacks to see how they operate,” Ward said to Silver. “It’ll just help me operate faster, just getting the ball out and getting completions.”
For now, the Titans will have Mike McCoy take over as the team's interim head coach. Come the offseason, the biggest move for the franchise will be picking the right coach and staff to lead Ward's development the right way, as well as mitigate any damage from this tenuous rookie season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cam Ward Had Wild Quote About Why the Rest of the NFL Could Be in Trouble.
