The official start to Cam Ward's NFL career on Sunday was not as auspicious a beginning as anyone had hoped. Indeed, the rookie QB finished with just 112 yards, 12 completed passes (out of 28 attempts) and six sacks.
But as rough as those stats look, the Miami export was not operating alone. With the sacks, you must also consider the influence of the offensive line. And with the completions, you must also consider the efforts of those catching the ball. To that end, there were multiple dropped passes in Tennessee's opener vs. the Broncos—so it's not like Ward wasn't doing his part.
Still, the QB handled the optics and any frustration he might have felt about the performance with grace, using what could have been an opportunity to vent about his targets to instead dismiss any problems and take accountability himself.
"I am never going to get on those guys for dropping a ball," Ward told reporters on Wednesday, a few days after the team's 20–12 loss. "I'm going to throw a pick at some point in the season. So, bad plays are going to happen. The biggest thing is that we gotta get back to the huddle, we have to always have a next-play mentality. I am not too worried about that—those boys are going to catch the ball."
Unsurprisingly, fans loved it.
Could not be possibly be rooting more for this kid.
— MaxBid24 (@MaxBid24) September 11, 2025
Great answer. Finally a leader at quarterback. #TitanUp
— Bill (@ThRealBill) September 10, 2025
Damn. That's a leader right there
— NoSkoZone (@noskozone) September 11, 2025
Whether or not Cam Ward is the franchise QB of the future in Tennessee remains to be seen, but I have to say everything I’ve seen from this guy from a leadership perspective and the way he carries himself has been outstanding. Really rooting for him. https://t.co/UOfZ1QS6dK
— Jack Bell (@jackbell25) September 11, 2025
Great leader, I love a lot of the intangibles about Ward https://t.co/0rNERyneoz
— Luke Sawhook 🪚🪝 (@lukesawhook) September 11, 2025
What a dude.
— Brady (@Slix_og_onttv) September 10, 2025
We were so lucky to have that guy at Miami. It's impossible to not appreciate his demeanor and character.
— Parrot.E (@gstearns2) September 11, 2025
Leader. https://t.co/hfcYtm5iTZ
— CanesInSight (@CanesInSight) September 11, 2025
Titans got a winner https://t.co/vY5mBhn7hD
— “will je suis” (@psa2rpa) September 11, 2025
QB1 mentality https://t.co/gyIf295vFo
— stephhhhh (@StephaniieVoris) September 11, 2025
As for the O-line, Ward was just as mature there, too, telling the media that he wants "y'all to get up there and try to block one of them big boys on the D-line."
"I had some bad pocket movement as well, so I take full responsibility on my part, and they'll do the same, as well," he continued. "We're still getting used to each other, but we gon' turn around fast and try to get a win this week."
Super cool stuff, especially for a rookie. Rooting for him in Week 2 when the Titans host the Rams at 1 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fans Loved Cam Ward’s Mature Line About His WRs After Titans’ Rough Start to Season.
