The first year of Cam Ward with the Tennessee Titans is over. The first overall pick out of the University of Miami set a Titans rookie record in passing for 3,169 yards and 15 touchdowns, along with seven interceptions. He became the first rookie quarterback for the Titans to eclipse 3,000 yards passing in a season as well. Plenty will judge him on wins and losses and how the team played, but there was more than that you can use to judge how his rookie year went.
Charles Davis, an analyst for CBS Sports, had a chance to see Ward on the field more than a few times this season and had this to say to AllSportsPeople about him:
“The loss of so much personnel, including their legitimate wide receiver one in Calvin Ridley. Adjusting. Adapting. Coaching changes and everything that goes along with it and I really thought he absolutely got better through the season. The confidence never wavered.”
What Charles speaks to is the irrational confidence Cam Ward carried throughout the entire season and that is a good thing for Ward. Sure, Ward is human, and you could see moments of frustration, but you could also see someone who continued to have confidence that things would eventually get better. He continued to go out each week, not only seeking wins but seeking to get better. And throughout the season, his numbers show he improved. He threw at least two touchdown passes in four of his last five games of his rookie season. And there was a possibility that he could have thrown for two or more touchdowns in the last game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars if he had not hurt his shoulder in the first quarter, scoring a touchdown.
But along with the irrational confidence and incredible abilities he has, there were some things that he has to clean up going forward. He does have a tendency, at times, to miss some big plays due to accuracy issues, but that is part of learning and growing as a young player, which is what Ward is. He is a rookie who is getting better with each time he touches the field.
The best thing for Cam is that he saw some success, tasted a few victories, and understands a little bit more about what it takes to get wins in the NFL than he did before he got there. Thankfully, Ward did not sustain significant damage to his shoulder, per the doctors who checked him out, and he can continue working to be the successful franchise quarterback he wants to be. And for Titans fans, you have to remember: this could be the worst version of Cam Ward we've seen, which wasn’t exactly a horrible one. He is a student of the game and will keep soaking it all in and keep getting better.