Cam Ward showing progress over the second half of the Titans season could have a positive impact on their coaching search that will take place in January. ANGIE FLATT
Cam Ward won’t pick the Tennessee Titans next head coach, but he will certainly influence it with his play over the second half of the season.
General manager Mike Borgonzi and president of football operations Chad Brinker will make the call on the coach with ownership at minimum signing off on the hire, and at most having a strong voice in the interview process.
But Ward’s presence will be felt in the process, beginning now.
The No. 1 overall pick’s play through the first half of his rookie season has been lackluster, as he ranks at or near the bottom of nearly every meaningful quarterback stats available. The raw numbers of 1,760 yards passing and a 57.6 completion percentage with five touchdowns and six interceptions are nothing to write home about, and most of the the advanced metrics type stats don’t paint a much prettier picture either.
There have been issues with sacks, as he is on pace to set an NFL record for yardage lost, and issues with footwork and mechanics as well as processing.
Some of those flaws were expected – it comes with the territory of having a rookie quarterback. Some of these things won’t be able to be fully addressed until the off-season.
Sources have told TitanInsider.com that they knew getting Ward’s footwork and mechanics up to par would be a task that would take some time. However, the process has come along slower than expected.
Currently, the Titans are one of two teams that will be looking for a new head coach in the off-season, along with the New York Giants. There will be other openings as well. Among the teams that could potentially be in the coaching market include the Cleveland Browns Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons and the Miami Dolphins.
While the Titans job will attract candidates, there is a great likelihood that how the Tennessee ownership is regarded in league circles will be a detriment to the hiring process. That would definitely be a minus in terms of the job opening.
The roster overall is another negative point in the hire, though there is plenty of salary cap space and a GM in Borgonzi, who seems to have hit on several of his rookie picks. Those will be pluses to the process. The possibility of having the first overall pick will also be a plus, and will still be one even if the Titans win a game or two but still pick in the top five..
But the biggest potential plus or minus in the Titans’ hiring process is Ward.
If Ward can show progress over the last eight games of the season, and get to a point where he is one of the reasons the Titans are competitive as they play out the string, then the Titans job becomes a lot more attractive to potential candidates.
Right now, the competition is Ward’s upside and development against Jaxson Dart’s situation with the Giants. Currently, based on a half-season’s worth of work, advantage Dart, who when healthy, has found much more success in the early going than Ward.
But Ward has a chance to change that narrative and have a quality coach eager to work with him in hopes of bringing out the best in him. It is already working like that for Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, who are thriving with new coaches in year two.
Conversely, if Ward can’t show improvement enough and looks to be too much of a project to have a new coach enthusiastically embrace the challenge of developing him, it could hinder the quality of coach the Titans can hire. At the very least, it would make for an uncomfortable coach/quarterback relationship.
It didn’t work in Tennessee when Brian Callahan couldn’t maximize Will Levis last year. The jury is still out on whether Dave Canales can pull anything more out of Bryce Young, whose development has been slow.
So, over the last eight games, keep an eye on Ward’s trajectory to see if it ascends throughout the remainder of a lost season. It is really the biggest thing the entire off-season hinges upon.
Simmons back
Jeffery Simmons strolled out to individual drills after the team’s stretch on Thursday, practicing for the first time since injuring his hamstring against the New England Patriots.
Simmons, who said he is taking things day by day, could return this week when the Titans host the Houston Texans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
“Missing two games and the bye week, I was itching to get back out there,” Simmons said of his return to practice. “The training staff did a hell of a job getting me back. It felt good just to be back out there.”
Simmons said that his off-season regimen and training that got him from 320 pounds to around 295 pounds was a big factor in being able to speed up his return process from the injury.
“It most definitely did (speed it up). Think about weighing 320 pounds, it definitely wouldn’t have been good for a messed up hamstring. It’s big when I stay healthy with my meal prep and whatever, which I did,” Simmons said.
Simmons was listed as limited on Thursday, as were edge rusher Arden Key (quad), running back Kalel Mullings (ankle), tight end Chig Okonkwo (foot), receiver Bryce Oliver (knee) and receiver Calvin Ridley (hamstring). Safety Xavier Woods (hamstring) was out for a second straight day.
On the Texans side, quarterback C.J. Stroud was out again with a concussion and has been declared out by the team. Davis Mills will start against the Titans.