Titans' Brian Callahan Reacts to Cam Ward Practice Scuffle

The Tennessee Titans' practice leading up to their third preseason game of the year vs. the Minnesota Vikings saw a scuffle transpire between quarterback Cam Ward and defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons.

Simmons, the Pro Bowl defensive veteran and Titans captain, was reportedly involved in back-and-forth trash-talk with Ward and second-year tackle J.C. Latham. Latham seemingly blocked and had words for Simmons on the play immediately before the fracas with Ward, where Simmons would eventually leave practice shortly after.

Oftentimes, when you see a training camp fight go down in preseason practice, that usually occurs at a joint session between two opposing teams where that type of activity is almost expected. Not as often does it ensue between two sides of the same roster, and perhaps more notably, it doesn't typically include the starting quarterback in the mix.

Nonetheless, it certainly presented a bit of extra drama and drew a few more eyes to Tennessee's practice, but what did second-year head coach Brian Callahan think of the events of Monday's practice?

"It was a training camp push and shove and some loud barking," Callahan said the day following, per ESPN's Turron Davenport. "I didn't think too much of it. Of course, you don't want the QB being touched, but the flip side is the quarterback going into the fray like that."

#Titans Brian Callahan on the Jeffery Simmons and Cameron Ward confrontation: It was a training camp push and shove and some loud barking. I didn't think too much of it. Of course you don't want the QB being touched but the flip side is the quarterback going into the fray like…
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) August 19, 2025

For Callahan, there's a fault on both sides. It's always the expectation to not get the quarterback dirty in practice, to where the same applies in the event of a dustup like the Titans saw on Monday.

However, in the eyes of a head coach, there's also a bit of weight on Ward's shoulders not to fuel the fire to get such a confrontation to that point. Especially for a number-one-overall pick like Ward, he's the aspiring face of the Titans' franchise and a tone-setter for the culture of this group. That comes with a responsibility to play with fire and passion, but also to remain composed in the midst of competition.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws the ball during an NFL football training camp practice at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Some of Ward's teammates also voiced their opinions on the events on Monday alongside Callahan, such as defensive back Jarvis Brownlee, saying it shows "the kind of dog" he has within his mentality.

"You get that same attitude, confidence, that same edge every day out of those two guys," Brownlee said of Ward and Simmons. "That's what you expect. But when it does happen with the quarterback, you've got to break it up as soon as possible. But brothers fight. You never want to see your quarterback in the middle of those kinds of things. But when it does happen, it shows you the kind of dog he has in him. He ain't going to take nothing."

Clearly, in the eyes of Callahan, though, it was nothing to look too deep into, and it'll be business as usual moving forward in their preparation to face the Vikings later this weekend.

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