Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward has shifted the tone of his first NFL season with a late surge that demands attention, even from teams already looking toward the offseason.
Entering Week 17 against New Orleans, Ward is coming off consecutive performances with passer ratings above 100, highlighted by a career-best 122.3 mark in Week 16.
The progress arrives after months of growing pains and amid a rebuilding year for the state of Tennessee.
Cam Ward’s late-season surge signals real growth
Ward’s recent stretch stands in sharp contrast to the opening months of his rookie campaign.
Through his first 12 starts, he threw seven touchdown passes with 12 turnovers, guided Tennessee to a 1-11 record, and sat near the bottom of the league in passer rating, yards per attempt, and completion percentage.
He also absorbed more sacks and lost more yardage on those plays than any quarterback in the NFL. Saints head coach praises Ward’s film and mentality as the Titans rookie quarterback earns league-wide respect during a late-season surge.
#Saints HC Kellen Moore on Titans’ QB Cam Ward:
“Loved his film, loved the makeup of the person … I really enjoyed getting to know him.” pic.twitter.com/GOYDziaZtI
— NOF (@nofnetwork) December 23, 2025
That narrative has changed over the past three games. Tennessee is 2-1 in that span, and Ward has completed 62.4 percent of his throws for 515 yards with six touchdowns, one interception and a 97.9 passer rating.
He has delivered two touchdown passes in each of those contests after totaling seven across the season’s first 12 games. Over the last two outings, his passer ratings of 122.3 and 101.2 reflect a quarterback playing faster and with greater confidence.
The defining moment came in Week 16, when Ward went 21 of 28 for 228 yards and two scores in a 26-9 win over Kansas City.
He posted a season-high 75 percent completion rate and averaged 8.1 yards per attempt while leading an offense that produced 22 first downs and converted nine of 17 third-down chances against a top-10 defense.
That performance also pushed his season total to 2,866 passing yards, surpassing Marcus Mariota’s franchise rookie record of 2,818 set in 2015.
Support and Stability fuel Titans’ Momentum
Ward’s improvement has been aided by better balance around him, most notably from the Titans’ rushing attack. Over the last three games, Tennessee has rushed for 184, 136, and 164 yards, easing pressure on a young passer who previously faced crowded pockets and long down-and-distance situations. Veteran running back Tony Pollard has been central to that shift, posting rushing totals of 161, 104 and 102 yards in those games.
The added stability has shown up in Ward’s decision-making. He has been sacked only three times over the past three contests and has thrown just one interception across his last 223 pass attempts.
His thirteen touchdown passes now rank second among rookie quarterbacks in franchise history, moving past Vince Young’s 12 and trailing only Mariota’s 19. Ward credited those around him after setting the yardage mark.
“Just the group of people I’m around,” he told CBS. “The coaching staff, the receivers I’ve got. The O-line takes care of me.”
Interim coach Mike McCoy emphasized Ward’s control of the offense and growth against complex defenses, noting his poise against Kansas City coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
“He continues to get better week in and week out,” McCoy said. “The way we’re running the football helps him tremendously.”
For New Orleans, which enters the matchup with recent momentum of its own, Ward’s surge serves as a reminder that Tennessee’s record masks genuine progress. The Saints may be eliminated, but the challenge remains real. Ward’s late-season rise has turned a quiet rebuild into a storyline worth watching.