Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward made some breathtaking plays throughout his rookie season. That is undeniable. Ward occasionally dazzled with his ability to extend the pocket, elude rushers and make off-platform throws from different arm angles.
So much so that the Titans are understandably optimistic about the future despite enduring consecutive 3-14 campaigns. Ward largely played like a franchise rookie quarterback on a bad rebuilding team. The expectation moving forward is that Ward will continue developing into a high-level starter.
When healthy from a shoulder injury suffered in Week 18, Ward will spend the offseason trying to improve the less polished areas of his game. Titan Sized recently spoke exclusively with former Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Though Hasselback was sometimes impressed by Ward's play, he'd also like to see him master the mundane with more regularity.
Former Titans QB Matt Hasselbeck offers his brutally honest assessment of Cam Ward's rookie season
Ward occasionally suffered from being inaccurate. He concluded his rookie campaign completing just 59.8% of his passing attempts. That ranked 37th in the league among quarterbacks with 100-plus attempts.
For Ward, improving that metric as a sophomore is more about making the routine plays than it is putting together a highlight reel.
“I think Cam [Ward] has a lot of great tools to work with," Hasselbeck told Titan Sized while promoting Bud Light's limited-edition championship packaging to commemorate Super Bowl 60. "The danger is, when you come out of the NFL Draft, the things that get you drafted high nowadays are those creative off-platform throws. But if you look at the great quarterbacks in the NFL, the guys who have long, successful careers, it’s the guys who find joy in perfecting the fundamentals. Find joy in the mundane and protect the team."
Sloppy footwork and ball security led to accuracy misfires and 11 fumbles (seven lost). Protecting the football wasn't an overly concerning issue for Ward though. He only threw seven interceptions, with only one in his final nine appearances of the campaign.
Matt Hasselbeck: Cam Ward 'needs to find joy in perfecting the fundamentals of playing quarterback'
Hasselbeck knows something about mastering the mundane. His 3,571 passing yards season for the Titans still ranks sixth in single-season franchise history, and that's dating back to the Houston Oilers' inaugural 1960 season. Hasselbeck's tone when discussing Ward was more about challenging a young quarterback to grow comfortable with making routine plays with more consistency.
“It’s not about the stuff that gets you drafted," Hasselbeck said about Ward's off-script ability. "It’s about the stuff that wins football games. That’s the challenge for any young quarterback, including Cam Ward. He certainly has the skills to develop into a great QB. I just think there’s a lot that goes into it."
For Hasselbeck, who was supporting the Seahawks' Super Bowl 60 win in Seattle, living in Nashville during the season offered him quite the experience when following two of his former franchises. A three-time Pro Bowl quarterback for the Seahawks, Hasselbeck watched the team he's most remembered for win the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, he joked the national media forgot about Ward and the Titans this past year.
“Cam Ward had the opposite of the spotlight,” Hasselbeck added. “Living in Nashville myself, it sometimes felt like the Titans were playing in the Witness Protection Program. Nobody in the national media talked about the Titans this past season.”
The Titans hope Ward and the football team draw more national attention in 2026. Making the routine plays with more regularity would achieve that objective, as winning forces discussion. Ward possesses all the talent in the world, but Hasselbeck is challenging the sophomore QB to make the boring play more often.