Top Pick Cam Ward Embraces Quarterback Battle With Titans

Despite being the No. 1 overall pick, Cam Ward is earning respect in Tennessee by embracing competition with Will Levis and showing the leadership that made him a draft-day standout.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws a pass as he goes through drills during Rookie Mini Camp at Saint Thomas Sports Park. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans selected former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite investing the top pick in Ward or having any semblance of a decent quarterback on their roster, the Titans still aren't just handing Ward the starting job. The team has made it clear that there will be an open competition for the starting job this summer, and Ward will have to battle it out with Will Levis for the starting job. Currently, the two quarterbacks are splitting reps evenly in practice. 

Despite being the top pick in the draft, Ward does not feel entitled to anything and doesn't want the job just handed to him. Instead, he is showing the same leadership he was applauded for during his time at Miami and is embracing the competition. 

"I always embrace competition," Ward said. "Anything we're doing, we compete, so it really doesn't bother me. At the end of the day, it's a job so that's how you got to approach it... I want to be a leader. I want to be there for my teammates. When everything goes down, I want to be the person to liven everybody back up."

While everyone with a functioning brain knows that Ward is going to win the Titans' starting quarterback job, the process has allowed him to show off his maturity, leadership, and competitive fire. He is already proving to be a true professional and displaying all the intangibles that NFL teams raved about him having through the draft process. Ward still has to prove it on the field as a rookie, but he's already proving that he was a great pick from a mental standpoint.