Cam Ward stole Day 1 of Tennessee Titans minicamp but merely survived Day 2.
The Titans focused on third-down situations and two-minute drills for the second day of mandatory minicamp, putting Ward’s back against the wall by sending blitz packages his way and forcing him to handle delicate scenarios difficult to excel at.
The numbers reflect a performance from a quarterback who handled the challenge but didn’t necessarily exceed expectations. After posting a dazzling 20-for-21 day passing in the first minicamp session, Ward went 13-for-22 on his second day, with one would-be touchdown and one would-be turnover.
Littered among those moments were some impressive displays of Ward’s advanced poise, some reminders of his youthful inexperience and some indicators of where he is as a quarterback still three months from the start of his rookie season.
Here are three plays that stood out from Ward’s challenging day and what they tell us about his development.
The good: Cam Ward finds Calvin Ridley for a deep-shot touchdown
On a third-and-5 midway through the 11-on-11 team period, Ward hit Ridley in stride on a go route where Ridley had blazed past rookie Jalen Kimber and sprinted up the seam for an easy touchdown. Ward had a rush in his face and the play took a little while to develop, but he stood tall and showed he has big-play potential that matches with the arm talent to reach the speedy Ridley.
So much of the discourse last offseason was about how difficult it was for quarterback Will Levis to find a rhythm with Ridley. If Ward’s already developing some of that rhythm with his No. 1 target, that’s a huge boon.
So is Ward’s ability to understand the situation of a third-and-5 where he could’ve checked down and reset the chains, but still take the big play available to him. We shouldn’t put too much stock into Ward hitting a star receiver who got open by beating a rookie battling for a roster spot, but it’s a better alternative than Ward missing the play.
The bad: A fumble on a strange, nonchalant play
Ward’s lone turnover wasn’t via an interception, but via a botched reverse swatted out of his hands on a fairly lackadaisical toss. He had a receiver coming around behind him to reverse the formation, but linebacker Cedric Gray broke through the formation and got a finger on the toss, batting the ball away and eventually falling on it for a turnover.
You can’t fault Ward for design, and you definitely can’t fault him for the missed blocks that allowed a linebacker to fire into the backfield that quickly. But this mistake happened on a simulated second-and-8. Maybe things would’ve been different if Ward sped up the play or pushed the ball to his receiver more forcefully. Maybe there’s nothing he could’ve done to stop the defender from making a great play. But it’s the kind of mistake that’s hard to not attribute at least partially to a youthful nonchalance that’s still adjusting to the speed of the pro game.
The intriguing: Cam Ward is here to play
One of the most intriguing moments of his entire Titans tenure came on a simulated third-and-10 early in the team session. He didn’t have receivers open downfield, so he scrambled to the left side of the formation. Obviously teammates can’t hit him, so he eases off instead of lowering his shoulder. But in easing off, he actually laterals the ball to running back Tony Pollard running parallel to him, and in doing so frees Pollard the space needed to gain the first down.
If this was a designed read, kudos. If this was a quarterback feeling the instincts of the game, kudos. If this was just a quarterback playing around because he knows he’s not in danger in a non-contact practice — still, kudos.
There’s a vitality and energy to Ward’s style that feels almost playground-esque at times, and this play was an example. It’s not a dazzling throw into double coverage or a deep shot that shows off his natural talent. But it’s a glimpse into the playful way he is showing how comfortable he already is, less than two months after being drafted.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.