The Tennessee Titans made no secret that they were going to select Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. It became increasingly clear as the draft neared that they were not going to trade that spot, and that they were, indeed, going to select Ward with the pick. Typically, first-round draft picks are expected to make an impact in their first season, and that’s not different for Ward.
What may be different for Ward, though, is that he doesn’t expect the starting quarterback position to simply be handed to him because he was the top pick in the draft. Offensive lineman J.C. Latham recently spoke with Sirius XM Radio and noted that both Ward and Will Levis are working to earn the job.
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“Will’s not just gonna sit over here and say, ‘Oh, we drafted him, go ahead take it.’ Cam’s not gonna expect it to just be given to him,” Latham said. “Throughout the spring, I think that’s the one thing that all the coaches and players on the team have seen, like both of them taking the challenge of trying to really earn the spot and really fight for the spot. It’s made them better. You can see the improvements from Will, and you can see the sharpness of Cam.”
And that is what competition is really about. It’s not just about beating your opponent, it’s about improving your game and wanting it more than the other player(s). Levis is improving, which is fantastic because even if Ward starts, the Titans need a solid backup. The same applies if Levis wins the spot; Ward has to continue working hard so that he’s ready when his number is called.
Many still anticipate and expect that Ward will get the nod in Week 1, but the Titans have not named an official starter yet. The more these two can push each other to improve, the better they will both be when the season starts.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Titans’ JC Latham: Ward not expecting starting job to be handed to him