If Cam Ward Struggles, How Long Should the Titans Stay Committed?

Another difficult Cam Ward season shouldn't send the Titans quarterback shopping, but it could make competition part of the 2027 conversation. Plus Anthony Hill, Tony Pollard, the Hall of Fame and more.

By PAUL KUHARSKY

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Welcome to the preseason mailbag.

If you missed the latest Paul Kuharsky Podcast, I shared what two NFL executives and an assistant coach from another team told me about their expectations for the Titans. Find it here on YouTube, Apple, Spotify and iHeart.

Onto your questions

How Long Is the Titans' Commitment to Cam Ward?

If Ward struggles again this year, do you think drafting a 1st round QB is on the table for the 27 draft?

— Y J Jealous (@yewjustjealous) September 5, 2026

Barring a real disaster, I don’t think so. Two years is just not a lot, though a clock would be loudly ticking

Spending two first-round picks on a QB in three drafts is an incredible amount of capital. 

More important than the draft capital is the developmental timeline. Unless Ward gives them compelling evidence that he simply can't play, two NFL seasons isn't enough of a runway for a quarterback you're trying to develop.

I give him a very high percentage chance at being the guy in 2027.

If something goes very awry…

I’d expect Tampa Bay will hold onto Baker Mayfield, but as of now he’s heading for unrestricted free agency. If those sides couldn’t agree, maybe there is a scenario where the Titans could move that direction

Mac Jones of the 49ers and Tanner McKee of the Eagles are also not signed for 2027. Tennessee could put Ward into a competitive situation with one of them. 

Shawn Hibbs Hey Paul, long time subscriber here! Has anyone asked Daboll about him calling games from the press box? He was there all preseason and I’d be interested in getting his thoughts on the pros/cons vs being on the sideline where he can interact with the players. Thank you for 30 years of nuanced coverage!

I don’t recall him talking about it. But I think a lot of play-callers who are not head coaches trade the in-game face-to-face interactions for the bird’s-eye view, and I certainly have no issue with that being his preference. I’m sure he’ll talk regularly with Ward on the phone between series and he can also check in with others as needed. 

He’s also got halftime for in-person conversations.

Joshua Robbins After only winning 3 games last year, what would a successful season look like overall for the Titans and individually for Cam Ward?

I know you probably want numbers, but I’m not going to offer them.

Better, more consistent play that leads to increased offensive success and improved team success. 

When the season is over, the team needs to know Ward is their quarterback going forward. That’s success for him.

Anthony Hill's Role and the Titans' Linebacker Rotation

Do you suspect we will run high amounts of base/ rotate LB's a lot due to the sheer amount of starting caliber LBs we have? Also, what do you expect Anthony Hill's role to be early this year?

— JS All Pro (@InformedWatcher) September 5, 2026

 

Is Anthony Hill Jr likely to start out as a rotational guy, as opposed to day one starter? I’m curious to see how much they use him in the first few games.

— Let’s Talk Titans 🏈 (@Ck88Keys) September 5, 2026

We won’t know until we see, because they aren’t sharing. But I expect Cody Barton and Cedric Gray to be the two primary linebackers in the nickel package, which is what the Titans will be in most often, by a lot. I expect Hill to be a special teamer and depth. Maybe he’s the third guy in base, which they’ll play a bit, that’s between him and James Williams.   

Count me in the group that would prefer they deal with Hill’s rookie growing pains in exchange for the upside instead of settling for Barton’s limitations that come after his system smarts. 

Maybe they surprise us and decide to do that at the start. I’m hopeful they’ll get there in a month. But we’ll have to see Hill’s progress behind the scenes and Barton’s play.

R.D. Bayne How do the HOF changes affect you, and a little more info on what the process looks like now?

I’m waiting on a call to learn if they want me on the new, smaller edition of the committee or as an alternate or committee members. Or my time may be over.

I imagine I will write about it either way.

The biggest change is that the senior category is gone, and players don’t lose eligibility after 25 years. But there is so much more of a push for modern-era candidates that it will take a real campaign for a guy who could have been a senior for him to get a spot as one of the 13 players considered in the final group along with a coach and a contributor. I think it’s going to be very difficult for a contributor to be selected while competing against players.

What Should We Expect From the Titans' Skill Players?

Hi Paul: How has Tony Pollard looked? Is he still being counted on to the be the Titans' bell cow RB? Thanks.

— Stephen Nover (@StephenNover1) September 5, 2026

He’s looked quite good. Based on what we’ve seen, I expect a strong season provided he stays healthy. He’s he’s not going to break away from the pack very often. His long runs are going to be around 20 yards. Even if they go into games intending for Pollard and Tyjae Spears to get roughly equal touches, I think Pollard will wind up with more.

What do you think Femi’s ceiling is

— DJ Burnside (@DennisJBurnside) September 5, 2026

I’m not going to dismiss a long-term bigger upside. But for this year, I feel like if he’s the third-best end that would be a win. After whatever Jermaine Johnson, John-Franklin-Myers are combining to do at end, if Femi Oladejo is right there in the mix with Keldric and Jacob Myers, that’s big.

He needs to maximize his power, which Drew Beatty wrote about recently.

David Jackson I’ve noticed in fantasy drafts that no one really wants Titans’ players. Is that telling us we shouldn’t be expecting any big improvements yet? Like even in the late rounds nobody wants them. I understand when you’ve been bad you have to prove it first, but are we assuming too big of a rebound?

I think Pollard has value because he will wind up with a high percentage of carries and a fair share of red zone chances.

As for target guys, think it’s fair to wonder about Cam Ward delivering the ball and about distribution share. In a PPR league, I’d certainly have an eye on Wan’Dale Robinson. If you’re taking Carnell Tate, Calvin Ridley, Spears or Gunnar Helm, there is just a lot of unknown about how much they will get the ball.

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Rob Nell Who is Titans biggest WR bust
1st rd
1) C.Davis 5th pick
2) T.Burks 18th pick
3) K.Wright 20th pick
4) K.Britt 30th pick
2nd rd
5)J.Hunter 34th pick
6)D.Green-Beckham 40th pick
7)T.Calico 6oth pick

Burks, Green, Hunter, Davis, Wright, Britt, Calico.

Burks can’t be rated without the context of being part of the AJ Brown trade, and he just didn’t offset the loss of Brown. 

Green-Beckham didn’t get it and was all athlete, not nearly enough of a receiver and Hunter was in the same category. Davis had some production, but if you draft a guy fifth he needs to be a prominent player for you and he wasn’t. Wright has questionable heart and didn’t even stay in tip-top shape. Britt was too inconsistent, but he could have been good. Calico might have had it, but those injuries killed him.

Ashten Vokovich do you think cam ward’s out of script accuracy can be fixed? also, do you believe he should stop patting the ball before he throws everytime?

He’s better out of script than in script a lot of the times. On-script is the bigger issue, and that’s the big question. 

But as Blake Beddingfield wrote, shooting to be Patrick Mahomes for these Titans makes a heck of a lot less sense than trying to be Brock Purdy. And I’ve seen Purdy up close several times. Of course, you’d rather be and have Mahomes, but Purdy is a really accomplished football player. There is nothing wrong with being Purdy.

Off-script, I’d worry about less. That’s when he’s made some magic plays.

I need to ask about patting the ball. It can be fine for some guys; it helps them with rhythm. But for others it gets in the way and right now it feels like more of the latter for him.

Rob Nell Do you think the front office spent wisely and spent enough on free agents in the offseason?

The Titans spent a total of $324 million in free agency, the most in the league, with $135 million in first-year cash, per Over the Cap. Yes, they spent enough.

Wisely? I don’t think there is any issue with the strategy. And it’s hard to argue against John Franklin-Myers. Wan’Dale Robinson certainly gives them something they need, plus he’s familiar. The corners, particularly Cor’Dale Flott, didn’t look very good in the preseason. We’re going to have to see about them.

So it’s too early to judge much of it.

But they had a lot of money and a bad team.

Unquestionably, the money spent makes them a better team.