Published September 2, 2026 04:24 PM

The Titans selected quarterback Cam Ward at No. 1 overall last year with the idea that he would become the club’s franchise quarterback.

Ward’s first season clearly did not go as planned, with former head coach Brian Callahan getting fired after the team started 1-5.

But things should be different in 2026 with Robert Saleh as head coach and Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator.

With Ward about to start his second season, his new boss has total belief in him.

“This kid’s not going to fail,” Saleh said recently, via Turron Davenport of ESPN. “Obviously, I put my job on that one, but he’s not going to fail. He’s special.”

Saleh brought in Daboll, who helped develop Bills quarterback Josh Allen as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator, to accelerate Ward’s progress.

“I have a lot of confidence in this young man,” Daboll said, via Davenport. “I have confidence in how he played [in college] at Miami and Washington State, and he had a whole year under his belt in the National Football League and getting accustomed to the speed of the game and the timing. That’s not an easy thing for quarterbacks.”

What both coaches want most for Ward is for him to make the routine plays look and feel routine on a game-by-game basis.

“It comes back to time on task,” Saleh said. “Trusting yourself, trusting your teammates, play within the rhythm, rhythm of the play and get your feet in the ground and throw an accurate football. It sounds simple, but at the same time, we’ve got to be able to go do it and take it from practice to the game.”

Ward completed 60 percent of his passes as a rookie last year for 3,169 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 159 yards with two TDs.

Robert Saleh: Cam Ward isn't going to fail, he's special

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