Titans HC Very Impressed By Cam Ward

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward has just one more start left in his rookie season, where he has continued to improve week after week.

He's been through a lot in his first season in the league, which included a coaching change after Week 6 when Brian Callahan was given his pink slip. Mike McCoy stepped into the interim role, and he's seen Ward grow week after week. McCoy expressed his excitement in Ward and his progress throughout the season.

"I think the entire season is really going to help him going forward," McCoy said via team reporter Jim Wyatt. "That's one thing — the experience of playing different schemes and improving as the year went on. He's really going to benefit from it. I know from talking to him week after week—the library, the notes you build from playing against certain teams, whether it's coordinators, certain players, or specific matchups with your receivers and how defenses play certain guys.

"You gain that experience over a 17-game season, and it's only going to make things easier for him moving forward. I think he's done a great job week after week of learning and understanding what we're trying to accomplish. He's got a really bright future."

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward looks downfield during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ward Gaining Fans as He Improves

The eye test shows Ward is getting more comfortable as he gets more reps on the field. That was shown in Week 17 when the Titans lost to the New Orleans Saints. Despite the loss, Ward looked as comfortable as ever, and it's a sign of what's to come for the Titans as they rebuild with their rookie quarterback.

"Some of those plays where I'm on the sideline and thinking throw the ball away or do something different and he keeps going, moving around out there, buying time, buying time on the sideline to the very last second, making those throws. That's what the great players do," McCoy said via Wyatt.

"And you've seen that a number of times this year. And more recently with the plays that he's making. And that's what energizes our fans, energizes our team, it's great. You see players, once they know that he is out of the pocket now, you see us doing a better job of scrambling. You always talk about what are our scramble rules, you have scramble drills you do during the offseason program and training camp to kind of talk about things.

"But the game is completely different, because everyone is always in different spots, and it's not scripted a certain way. You just see guys reacting, and you see Cam moving his finger point in one direction or the other. And so it's just great to see the guys making the plays."

After the Week 18 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ward will have a full offseason to continue his development. Things may look different with a new head coach and offensive system in mind, but the rookie has dealt with a number of different systems throughout his collegiate and professional career.

Ward will be able to pick up a new playbook, but he'll do so with the knowledge and growth of a full season as the starting quarterback for the Titans.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!