The Seattle Seahawks are set to face the most recent number one overall pick on Sunday in Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward.
Despite Tennessee’s ugly 1-9 record, Ward has flashed the talent that made him the top pick in the draft just seven months ago. Watch how he placed this ball while being rocked off the edge this past week:
Ward’s struggles are more indicative of the overall situation than the development of Ward himself. He follows in a long line of first-pick quarterbacks that have been plopped into a mess and inevitably struggled.This stat Adam Schefter shared after the Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan is incredibly revealing:
The last four QBs taken No. 1 overall have seen their head coach fired during their rookie campaign:
🏈2021 — Trevor Lawrence (Urban Meyer)
🏈2023 — Bryce Young (Frank Reich)
🏈2024 — Caleb Williams (Matt Eberflus)
🏈2025 — Cam Ward (Brian Callahan) pic.twitter.com/Lb2M91tupd
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 13, 2025
Just like the other three QBs in this tweet, Ward still has great traits. My favorite comparison of the situation, though, is the New England Patriots, who took Drake Maye third overall in 2024.
Maye got hounded last year after taking over as the starter, with an awful offensive line putting him in danger consistently. The Patriots roster wasn’t worth many wins, but they were only 1 year away from retooling into a contender. They were aggressive in free agency and filled holes in the draft. Now, just one year later, Maye looks like an MVP finalist and the Patriots are tied for the best record in the NFL at 9-2.
The Titans have little to offer Ward this year, especially after top wide receiver Calvin Ridley was injured in Week 6. He’s now out for the season. But just like Maye, the tape doesn’t lie. It shows Ward’s arm talent.
This breakdown of his Week 11 dropbacks from Titans channel 440 Sports shows him making throw after throw despite pressure bearing down on him. His targets, more often than not, do a disappointing job of catching his passes. The two words I keep saying most are, “If only.”
If only Elic Ayomanor got his feet in bounds for the first down. If only Mason Kinsey turned the correct way for a likely touchdown. If only he doesn’t get blindsided by Will Anderson for a fumble.
The discourse surrounding Ward has a “prisoner of the moment” tone to it that doesn’t take into account his individual performances so much as his overall stats, which are affected by the rest of his offense and his play calling. There were simply too many moving pieces- that were broken before he got there- for Ward to ever have a good rookie season in Tennessee.