Titans TE Shows Confidence in Cam Ward

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Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo is recovering after the team fell 20-12 to the Denver Broncos in Week 1 at Empower Field at Mile High.
Okonkwo caught three passes for 19 yards from rookie quarterback Cam Ward in the first game of the 2025 season. Okonkwo was pleased with Ward's showing in his NFL debut.
"Yes, some really good defense, especially against the pass. He handled himself well. He was pretty poised back there. You know, even with the pressures that he took, he stepped up, made some good throws. We as an offense, we as pass catchers, got to help him make those plays," Okonkwo said postgame.

The Titans struggled throughout the game, but had opportunities to pick up a win. Unfortunately for them, it wasn't enough to pull out a victory.
Okonkwo shared what he thinks the Titans need in order to turn losses into wins.
"I feel like we had way too many opportunities to win the game, and we didn't capitalize on any of them," Okonkwo said.
"That is an issue and something that we have to definitely look at going forward with our offense. We can't let our defense and our team get four takeaways, and then we come out and just only get four field goals. Like that's unacceptable, you know? For our offense and stuff that we've been preaching in the offseason and how we view ourselves is unacceptable. So we definitely got to come back and fix that next week at home."
The Titans play the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2, so the competition may be dialed up a little bit for the Titans. The Rams went all the way to the Divisional Round last season, giving the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles some trouble on the road. They also picked up a 14-9 win against the Houston Texans, another playoff team from a year ago, in Week 1.
It won't be easy for Ward and the Titans, but they will welcome the challenge and compete hard against anyone in their way.

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.