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Cam Ward Makes Titans Debut at Rookie Minicamp

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward is officially hitting the field with his new team after being the No. 1 overall pick.
Zach Dimmitt|
Cam Ward fields questions after being introduced as the Tennessee Titans first-round pick – and overall number one pick – in the NFL Draft at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 25, 2025.
Cam Ward fields questions after being introduced as the Tennessee Titans first-round pick – and overall number one pick – in the NFL Draft at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 25, 2025. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Tennessee Titans got a new era underway at rookie minicamp Friday as No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward took the field for his first official practice reps with the franchise.

While a few routine handoffs from Ward made the rounds on social media, his reunion with former teammate and Miami receiver Xavier Restrepo immediately drew the most attention. Restrepo went undrafted but could potentially earn himself a roster spot.

During the first rookie minicamp practice, Ward connected with Restrepo on a short slant route that was thrown in stride.

Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi has made it clear that Ward hasn't earned the starting job yet with much of the offseason still to go, a discussion he expanded on during a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.

"I think the expectation is, you take a quarterback No. 1 overall, that he's going to uplift your franchise and be that guy," Borgonzi said. "But part of our job here is to manage expectations as we go through the process here. Eventually, that's what we want it to become. But we want to take the proper steps to make sure he's ready to go out there and play, whether it be Week 1, or Week 2, or Week 3.

If everything goes to plan, Ward will obviously be the new franchise quarterback from Day 1.

"If he hits the ground running here in training camp, he'll be out there Week 1," Borgonzi told Eisen.

Though it wasn't his official game threads, Ward sported the red Titans No. 1 quarterback practice jersey after being personally gifted the number to him by Oilers legendary quarterback Warren Moon.

Ward admitted that he had been lobbying for the No. 1 jersey "about a month ago" likely knowing that the Titans were going to take him with the first pick. He added that he would probably have worn No. 7 if Moon declined his request.

"I called him about a month ago, and so, I didn't know this was going on," Ward said of Moon's surprise appearance. "But you know, I knew this was gonna happen. I'm excited that Mr. Moon was able to bless me with giving me this number."

Ward and the Titans will find out the 2025 slate during the league's schedule release on May 14.

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

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