Although he’s yet to officially be named the starting quarterback of the Tennessee Titans, 1st overall pick in April’s NFL Draft Cam Ward isn’t approaching work in OTAs as if he’s going to be on the bench at all during the 2025 NFL season. And neither are his teammates.
The name of the game for the former University of Miami standout this spring has been building chemistry with an almost entirely new slate of pass-catchers in Tennessee. One in particular, veteran wide receiver Calvin Ridley, has perhaps been the loudest supporter of Cam Ward since he arrived in Nashville, praising not only his talent, but also his work ethic and his mentality… all of which were on display last season in Coral Gables.
“You’ve got to kind of be OK with f***ing up and doing good. You’ve got to have that f*** it mentality, and he’s kind of got that,” Ridley told Main Street Media Tennessee. “I honestly want to hear what he thinks. So, I just want to be in the spot where he wants me. So, I ask him first, ‘what did I do wrong on a play, no matter the throw or the catch or whatever it is. What do I need to do to make you feel better?’ Then I try to pick his brain of what do I need to do to make you feel better. That’s pretty much what we’re doing. It’s easier for me to relate to him. He’s easy to relate to. He’s easy to talk ball with. I just like him a lot.”
Building chemistry is a two-way street, and thus far, Cam Ward has been pleased with the early connection he’s established with the six-year veteran.
“It’s been good with Rid, especially because he’s a vet who had a decent amount of stops and he’s produced at every stop,” Ward said. “We’ve just got to listen to each other and continue to build that chemistry, staying after practice and getting work in.”
The good news for Titans fans is that Calvin Ridley isn’t the only receiver who is flashing early chemistry with Ward.
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"Ward and receiver Xavier Restrepo have great chemistry from their days at the University of Miami, and it was on full display on Tuesday," Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com reported. "Ward connected with Restrepo on a bullet across the middle early, and he hit Restrepo again in a team period with cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. on his hip."
Restrepo, a consensus All-American during the 2024 season, surprisingly went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Titans wisely scooped him up as an undrafted free agent immediately after the 7th round of the Draft concluded, assuring that Ward would have instant chemistry with at least one pass-catcher following his arrival in Tennessee. During their lone season together at Miami, Ward and Restrepo connected 69 times for 1,127 yard and 11 touchdowns.
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