Cam Ward isn’t a strictly by the book quarterback.
Ward said he has had his nose in the Tennessee Titans‘ playbook pretty much since April 24, the day he was chosen first overall during the 2025 NFL Draft. He has brought some of that knowledge to life during Titans rookie minicamp.
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“He got a bit of a head start,” Titans coach Brian Callahan said. “There’s no doubt about that. That’ll be beneficial for him . . . But it all comes down to what you do when you get out here and how quickly you can pick it up.”
Ward, the creator of more touchdown passes (178) than any player in the history of FBS, said he won’t be afraid to “freelance” should the situation call for such.
“They’re not really pushing everything on me at once,” Ward said May 10 after rookie minicamp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park. “At the end of the day, we have to go through installs and get better at little things.
“I’ll continue to look at it. I’ll continue to prepare how I know to prepare.”
How Titans plan to prepare Cam Ward for next season
And the Titans will continue to prepare him the best they know how.
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Ward didn’t do a ton in the way of throwing passes in game-like situations during rookie minicamp. This time, Callahan said, is more of an introduction to NFL life than an application-of-skills exercise.
“An important part of this weekend is the expectations … for how we operate in the training room, how we treat our staff, how we work in the cafeteria,” Callahan said. “There’s an orientation to all of it. I’m very clear what those expectations are. … Once you know the expectations, I think it’s easy to try and meet them.”
Nobody on the Titans has more expectations attached to him than Ward, a former zero-star recruit who has made a living proving and reproving himself at every stop − from Columbia High School in Texas to Incarnate Word, Washington State and Miami in college.
Callahan, who helped develop Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, said he plans to “start small” with Ward, encourage him to live in present, learn from the past and prepare for the future.
Cam Ward waits next to his father, Calvin Ward, center, to be introduced as the Tennessee Titans first-round pick – and overall number one pick – in the NFL Draft at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 25, 2025.
“What mistake did you make the day before? Did you correct it the next day?” said Callahan, who added the Titans have tried to present some things to Ward in ways he’s familiar with from his college days. “Can you take stuff from the meeting room out to the grass. … Just keep your focus small and don’t worry about September. We’re worried about today’s practice.
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“Cam Ward is no different.”
Except he kind of is different. At least in some ways.
Ward has more on his agenda than just football. He said he has spent a good amount of time learning as many names as he can since he’s been in town.
“The custodians, the cafeteria (workers) … the front office, my teammates,” Ward said. “I have teammates I’ve still yet to meet, but I’ll do that on Monday.”
What Titans teammates said about Cam Ward
Ward said he’s prepared to challenge Will Levis for the starting quarterback position.
So far during rookie minicamp, he’s shown flashes of the type of leader he can be. For instance, Ward wasn’t satisfied with how Elic Ayomanor ran a route, so the two discussed the matter and Ward insisted they try it again.
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“He’s been great. Great leader,” tight end Gunnar Helm said. “Super easy to talk to. Chemistry is just beginning to click for all of us.”
Cam Ward is introduced as the Tennessee Titans first-round pick – and overall number one pick – in the NFL Draft at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 25, 2025.
“He’s on time every time,” receiver Elic Ayomanor said.
“He has a presence about him,” receiver Chimere Dike said. “He’s a really good leader. He does it the right way. … He has that confidence for the work he puts in.”
All of which is to say, Cam Ward has already has begun to take the next step in his career.
“Just all about business,” Ward said. “I really want to be a pro. Want to be one of the great ones. Just want to be a good team.”
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Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina. Follow his work here.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans get first look at top pick Cam Ward during rookie minicamp