Titans HC Critiques Rookie QB

The 2025 No. 1 overall pick was sacked six times in the Tennessee Titans eight-point loss to the Denver Broncos. The Broncos defense held their ground, taking home a 20-12 win as they didn't allow a single touchdown. While doing so, they snapped a two-game losing streak to the Titans.

Tennessee knew they had their work cut out for them when they drew Denver in Week 1. Cam Ward is the latest rookie QB to struggle in his debut. Denver is no easy atmosphere to make your NFL debut, though Ward did play a few series in each of the preseason games. Ultimately, a couple of preseason series was far from enough to prepare him for what was to come.

Despite turning the ball over four times, the Broncos still got the best of the Titans. HC Sean Payton led rookie QB Bo Nix to the playoffs last season, a feat he's looking to accomplish once again. His defense continued to impress as the Broncos started 1-0 for the first time since 2021.

One of the turning points of the game came in the fourth quarter. The Broncos fourth turnover of the game was a muffed punt, one that let the Titans take over near the red zone. A two-yard run for Tony Pollard gave Ward two opportunities to find the end zone. By the end of the possession, he was sacked twice and the Titans were driven out of field goal range in a one-point game.

"Can’t take a sack in those situations. It’s a learning moment for him. This is a really tough test out the gate, his first start against this defense, in this stadium. There’s plenty of things he’s going to learn. He’s going to learn a lot over the course of these games," HC Brian Callahan said.

He continued, "None of us are perfect. He’s not going to play perfect. There are things that we’re going to keep coaching and keep harping on, and he’ll learn quick.”

While Callahan did praise his rookie QB, he was quick to point out his mistakes as well. Constructive criticism is going to be key as there is nothing to sugarcoat in the Titans organization. After winning just three games last season, there's no excuse for a team to go 2-14 on third down and lose over 100 yards due to penalties.

Ward had numerous chances to get his team back into it. At the end of the day, he completed just 42.9% of his passes due to a mix of misses and drops. Tennessee has plenty to think about as the Miami graduate awaits his regular season home opener.

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