The Tennessee Titans have been so wretched in the first three games of the Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll era that some on social media are wondering how long 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward will remain as the starting quarterback.
Ward, who is now 3-17 as a starting quarterback, came under heavy fire for his back-breaking interception in a 12-7 loss to the New York Giants on a rainy day at MetLife Stadium. That interception has many wondering if Ward will follow the same path as 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young, who was benched two games into 2024 and turned it around when reinserted as the starter.
Such a move might be appealing for a Titans team that has been neutered offensively due to Ward's struggles, but Saleh making a quarterback change would seem like a finite end to the Ward era. After 20 starts, that's too soon to judge the No. 1 pick.
The Tennessee Titans can't afford to bench QB Cam Ward
In Carolina, Young was very clearly overwhelmed by the speed of the professional game. That was the case despite having a solid offensive line, a quality Chuba Hubbard-led running game, and an offensive coach in Dave Canales. Sitting him down reset his internal clock, and he was able to take advantage of Carolina's offense.
Ward is not playing well, as his 5.7 yards per attempt is actually below what he put on display during his rookie year. However, his problems may not be as readily fixed by a mental reset, as the Titans have put together a team that is going to magically start winning games with Mitch Trubisky under center.
The offensive line has been better than expected. The wide receivers are creating separation. Daboll's scheme has been conservative though, and Ward isn't taking full advantage of his opportunities. Sitting for a month's worth of games won't fix all of that.
Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward needs to play through his struggles
Ward's struggles seem like something that needs to be worked through. Hiding Ward is not going to help him figure out what is going wrong. His chemistry with No. 4 pick Carnell Tate will not develop with him on the bench, and it showed signs of coming together versus the Giants.
With Tennessee seemingly going nowhere this season, they owe it to themselves to see Ward out to the end of the year. A No. 1 overall pick deserves more than 20 starts, even if very few of those 20 made him look like someone who can get this franchise back on the right track.
If Ward gets a full season of starts, the Titans should end the year with a very clear indication of his ability. If that leads to Arch Manning, so be it. What they can't do is abandon ship on someone they have invested so much into over the last two years due to this momentary bump in the road.
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