Whenever you're drafted No. 1 overall like Cam Ward was by the Tennessee Titans, there’s bound to be extra hype—especially when you’re a quarterback.
That’s something the former Miami Hurricanes star knows comes with the territory in his rookie year and likely throughout his NFL career.
Fortunately for Tennessee, Ward isn’t letting that attention get to his head.
“I don’t care about the hype,” Ward told The Athletic’s Jeff Howe on Tuesday after the Titans’ first padded practice of training camp. “I don’t care about social media. All I care about is this 100-yard field. … At the end of the day, football takes care of everything.”
Despite being the top pick, Ward has flown somewhat under the radar since the draft, and he senses that.
“I don’t think I’m being welcomed in [the league] with open arms,” Ward said. “I was the first pick. I’m blessed to be that. But at the end of the day, there’s a target on my back. There’s a target on everyone’s back in the league, but I’m trying to prove myself to my teammates.”
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Tuesday, however, served as a reminder of how steep the learning curve can be. It was Ward’s toughest practice so far in camp. He went 5-for-9 in 7-on-7 drills and just 6-of-17 in full-team periods. The rookie also threw three interceptions, two of which came during the final team segment.
“Overall, Ward had a tough day,” ESPN’s Turron Davenport reported. “He was late on deep passes even during routes on air. Several deep passes came up short, causing the receivers to wait for the ball. Ward stressed the importance of timing being key to his transition to the NFL. Tuesday was a case of the timing not being where it should be.”
These kinds of hiccups are to be expected from a rookie, and there’s no need to panic just yet. But sooner or later, Ward is going to have to deliver in a big way for a Titans franchise that’s been chasing stability at quarterback for years.