Robert Saleh didn’t sugarcoat where Cam Ward’s head is at in the pocket. The Tennessee Titans head coach said Wednesday that his second-year quarterback still carries some of last season’s beating with him, and that it shows up as games wear on. “You’ve got to remember the young man was sacked however many times last year,” Saleh said at his Wednesday press conference. “So I’m sure there’s some PTSD there.”
Ward was sacked 55 times as a rookie in 2025, per StatMuse, while starting all 17 games. Saleh said the habits built behind that line still creep in. “What you see early in games, and it’s getting later and later in games too, you see him comfortable in the pocket, you see him trusting the offensive line,” Saleh said. “And then later in the game, you kind of see him revert back to some old habits.”
The Titans’ line is giving Cam Ward time
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The protection has held up so far in 2026. Ward has been sacked five times through three games, according to Fox Sports, and Saleh said right tackle JC Latham is “having a Pro Bowl-type season.” Saleh believes Ward is starting to notice. “I think he’s starting to really appreciate the offensive line because I think they are doing a really good job protecting him,” Saleh said. “And I think he’s building that trust.”
It hasn’t translated to wins. Tennessee is 0-3 after a 12-7 loss to the New York Giants in which Ward went 23 of 36 for 181 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception in the end zone with 17 seconds left. Saleh said the fix starts at the bottom. “From an accuracy standpoint, decision-making standpoint, everything starts with your feet at the quarterback position,” he said. Saleh said offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and his staff “work relentlessly” with Ward on it, and added that Ward “can feel it happening” when his mechanics slip.
Saleh sees the trend moving the right way. “If you watch the totality of all three games, his footwork and his pocket presence and his awareness has gone longer and longer into the game,” he said. “And I think we’re going to eventually get to a point where he’s not even thinking twice, and none of us are even talking about this anymore.” He’ll need that to happen soon, because the Titans’ quarterback questions will only grow louder if Tennessee drops to 0-4 against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
