As rough as this season has been for the Tennessee Titans and a grumpy Cam Ward, a faint glimmer of light is appearing at the end of the tunnel.
It says something important about rookie quarterback Cam Ward that his reputation among veteran Tennessee Titans teammates is that of a grumpy old codger.
“Don’t be a Grinch today,” defensive star Jeffery Simmons told Ward after the Titans — gasp — won a home football game, beating the Kansas City Chiefs 26-9 on Dec. 21 at Nissan Stadium, improving to 3-12 and getting to enjoy the holidays just a bit more.
Simmons was kidding with Ward. Well, he was kind of kidding.
The last time the Titans won (on Dec. 7 in Cleveland — not that it’s difficult to narrow it down), Ward showed up to his postgame news conference in a sour mood, relatively displeased with how the victory had gone.
On the flight back, Titans defensive end Arden Key reportedly used the plane’s speaker system to joke about Ward’s disposition after the game. We know that because Will Boling, the Titans’ sideline reporter and a host on 104.5-FM, relayed that on the air (which caused the team to subsequently remove him from traveling on the team’s plane).
So that’s the Grinch-iness Simmons was talking about.
It’s also, however, why Simmons said about Ward a few minutes later: “I keep telling people, that’s the reason why I don’t want to go nowhere. I see the competitive nature. I see the growth as a rookie. I can see where he could take this franchise.”
Ward got this far as a zero-star prep recruit, becoming the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, because his nature is to never be satisfied, even while winning. This is a strength. So is the fact that he is genuine in his thoughts. Doesn’t sugarcoat. Tells it like it is.
So this Titans season has been an experiment.
What happens when you take a quarterback like that and have him lose a whole bunch of games right away in the NFL?
You get quotes like “we ass,” which Ward famously said earlier this season after the Titans started 0-for-4. Some older teammates didn’t like hearing that at the time. But he wasn’t wrong, as this season has continued to demonstrate.
Ward’s first NFL head coach, Brian Callahan, was fired after six games this season. The Titans lost six in a row after that (seven in a row total), and five were at Nissan Stadium. It has been humbling, I’d imagine, for a touted rookie quarterback, especially because Ward’s performances have been mixed, if not overall underwhelming.
But as Simmons noted, “Cam hasn’t changed” during all the losses. That’s what teammates have noticed.
Joking aside, Ward has earned the respect of teammates — young and old — behind the scenes because of his fortitude. And of course, his ability.
“That guy is so talented,” rookie receiver Chimere Dike said of Ward, “but his work ethic is something that I really appreciate. I’m thankful that I’ve been able to grow with him this year, and I can’t wait to continue to build that rapport going forward. Hopefully, we’ll win a lot of games in Nashville.”
Win a lot? Could it be that Ward’s Titans are finally noticing a faint glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel? Perhaps all the struggles are beginning to bear fruit?
For Ward, this was a good weekend. His college team, the Miami Hurricanes, got a gigantic College Football Playoff win at Texas A&M. “I plan on them going out there and beating Ohio State (in the quarterfinals),” Ward chirped.
A day later, the Chiefs game may have been Ward’s best so far in the NFL. He went 21-for-28 for 228 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and while that might not sound too impressive, he led the Titans to three long TD drives and a 9-for-17 clip on third down.
Those eye-opening highlights, the ones that’ve flashed all season, haven’t gone away, either. Against Kansas City, Ward made a laughably absurd throw. Against his body and off his back foot, he found Dike for 30 yards to beat cornerback Kristian Fulton (remember him?).
“I’ve been better each and every week,” Ward said, “whether it’s one thing or whether it’s a major thing.”
The Titans, as an organization, may not be certain that they have their future quarterback yet. Ward’s journey is ongoing, and it will stay this way through next season. But the arrow keeps tilting slightly more north as this rough season nears a merciful — yet increasingly optimistic — conclusion.
Titans teammates, for what it’s worth, have sounded convinced about Ward for a while.
Teammates who matter.
Do not underestimate the importance of the quote from Simmons. It’s not a given that he’d want to stay with a franchise that’s gone 6-26 the past two seasons and not even sniffed the playoffs. A lot has been asked of Simmons here, and he’d be coveted by every other NFL team.
If Simmons is insisting he wants to stay amid all this losing, it’s worth paying attention to the reason why.
That reason just won his first home game as an NFL quarterback. And you know what? Cam Ward even seemed happy about this one.
Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and hang out with him on Bluesky @gentryestes.bsky.social
