Tennessee Titans No. 1 draft pick Cameron Ward got his first live reps last Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tennessee’s preseason opener at Raymond James Stadium. An ESPN analyst made a notable comparison after watching the game, pointing to Ward’s nontraditional playing style and poise as a first-year signal-caller.
ESPN’s Marcus Spears, a 2005 first-round draft pick who played professionally for nine seasons, weighed in on Ward’s small sample of plays during Monday’s edition of “NFL Live“.
“I saw a little bit of Jordan Love in Cam Ward,” Spears said. “I saw a little bit of that ability to throw the ball kind of unorthodox; the mechanics aren’t necessarily perfect, but you can see the talent. The most important thing I saw in this game, and what I look for in rookies in preseason, is poise.”
Ward only participated in two offensive drives Saturday night, finishing the long-anticipated debut with a touchdown after going three-and-out on his opening possession.
“I didn’t see him really panic at all during this game. You don’t know going into your first NFL game what the speed is going to be like; you don’t have an idea of what the defenses are going to do … it never seemed like he was out of sorts.”
Ward’s Mechanics Draw Jordan Love Comparisons
This isn’t the first time Ward’s game has drawn parallels to Love. ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller cited similar traits when ranking Ward among his top quarterback prospects in March, before the 2025 NFL Draft. Miller pointed to Ward’s pocket movement, deep-ball arm strength, and playmaking ability as reminiscent of the Packers’ quarterback during his early development.
“When I watch him [Ward] play, I see Jordan Love from the Green Bay Packers,” Miller said. “Arm strength, he’s got plus mobility out of the pocket, also gonna need a little bit of time to speed up his process at the next level. Coming out of college, it was a lot of times where he was able to drift in the pocket and make some of his plays.”
“That’s gonna have to get faster in the NFL. Sometimes, he’ll walk himself into a sack, but the arm strength, the velocity, the shortstop motion that he has, really good from Cam Ward.”
These comparisons made by professional analysts go beyond flattery — they’re instructive. Love’s rise from a raw prospect to a potential franchise cornerstone included growing pains, but his poise and ability to consistently perform well as a two-year starter for Green Bay are proven assets. If Ward can channel even a fraction of that trajectory, Titans fans have every reason to be optimistic.
Optimism is High After Ward’s Debut
In Titans coach Brian Callahan’s postgame press conference Saturday night, he praised Ward’s performance.
“I thought Cam played well in his two series that he got,” Callahan told reporters, via Buck Reising of A to Z Sports. “Kind of a weird first half with three possessions, had one three-and-out, and then came back and led a touchdown drive. I thought he looked good, started to feel a little bit comfortable.”
“He was begging to go back in, but that wasn’t in the cards for tonight,” said Callahan. “I thought he did some good things, and it was encouraging.”
Callahan expanded on his thoughts during a Sunday Zoom call after reviewing the 29-7 loss. While pleased, he stressed that Ward still has work to do.
“Cam certainly hasn’t arrived yet,” Callahan said, via Jim Wyatt of NFL.com. “We have a lot of things we’re still working on. I thought it was a good start for him, encouraging. It was productive, but there are a couple of things we’re going to keep grinding on. Still working on getting the ball out fast, still working on the timing of it. … There are plenty of things we’re still working on with Cam.”
Ward’s next opportunity under the lights comes Friday, Aug. 15, when the Titans travel to face the Atlanta Falcons in their second preseason game. With another week of preparation, fans and analysts alike will be eager to see how much closer Ward can get to living up to those Jordan Love comparisons. For a franchise searching for its next long-term answer under center, Ward’s early flashes hint at the kind of stability and excitement Titans fans have been craving.
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