Matthew Stafford Made Bold 'Patrick Mahomes-ish' Comparison on Cam Ward's First TD

Ward's Titans fell to the Rams, but he had one of the highlights of Week 2 with his first career touchdown pass.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford was clearly impressed with the Titans' Cam Ward after L.A. beat Tennessee on Sunday.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford was clearly impressed with the Titans' Cam Ward after L.A. beat Tennessee on Sunday. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Cam Ward hasn't exactly had a dream start to his NFL career with his Titans 0–2 following Sunday's 33–19 loss to Matthew Stafford and the Rams. The former Miami star has flashed the impressive potential that led Tennessee to take him with the No. 1 pick, however.

Ward threw the first touchdown pass of his career against Los Angeles, and he really made it count. Flushed to the right and well out of the pocket by Rams defensive end Tyler Davis, Ward threw a dart across his body, right into the hands of fellow rookie Elic Ayomanor. It would have been an ill-advised throw for a quarterback without Ward's arm strength and athleticism, but became evidence for the rookie's cannon—and his guts required to try that kind of throw at all.

One person impressed by the throw: another former No. 1 pick with a famous cannon of an arm—Stafford.

"Man, his first touchdown pass of his career was one to remember," Stafford said on the Let's Go podcast Monday. "That was an unbelievable play. I just tipped my cap to him on the sideline and said, 'That's well done, youngin'.'"

Stafford went on to compare Ward's touchdown pass to one that Patrick Mahomes might make.

"I was impressed by what he was able to do out of the pocket. He made some plays with his feet and threw a couple balls in timing and rhythm down the field to some receivers that were really impressive. And then the touchdown pass was a play of its own. It almost looked a little Patrick Mahomes-ish, where you're running around back there buying all sorts of time and then throwing it to the part of the field where nobody thought you'd throw it. And it was an impressive play by the kid."

Ward and the Titans have plenty of work to do to add a first career win to go with that first touchdown, but Stafford, who has been in his shoes, seems pretty enthusiastic about the young signal caller.


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Dan Lyons
DAN LYONS

Dan Lyons is a staff writer and editor on Sports Illustrated's Breaking and Trending News team. He joined SI for his second stint in November 2024 after a stint as a senior college football writer at Athlon Sports, and a previous run with SI spanning multiple years as a writer and editor. Outside of sports, you can find Dan at an indie concert venue or movie theater.