The Titans are clearly committed to Cam Ward as their long-term quarterback, but head coach Brian Callahan isn’t rushing into naming his Week 1 starter. As ESPN’s Turron Davenport writes, Ward evenly split reps with Will Levis as the Titans opened Phase 2 of their offseason activities.
Callahan acknowledged that we’ll likely see a change in the snap distribution when the offense begins participating in seven-on-seven drills. At that time, the number-one overall pick will presumably find himself atop the depth chart, but even that major indication may not be enough for Callahan to name a definitive starter.
The coach told reporters that it’s premature to name a Week 1 starter considering all the progress that needs to be made over the next three months. Instead, Callahan made it clear that he wants his quarterbacks to simply focus on what’s ahead of them at practices vs. focusing on the season opener.
As Davenport notes, Callahan may be a bit gun-shy from last year, when the first-year head coach quickly named Levis as his starter. A midseason injury helped the Titans temporarily pivot to Mason Rudolph, but the coach understood he didn’t do anyone any favors by proclaiming Levis his QB1 before practices even started.
So, while Ward is all but guaranteed to be the starter for the 2025 campaign, Callahan won’t make any declarations before he has a full understanding of his depth. While Davenport notes that a QB competition between the number-one pick and the incumbent starter could lead to a “contentious situation,” Callahan praised both of his signal callers for their approach to early practices.
“They’ve both handled it really well,” Callahan said. “I’ve been pleased with their demeanor and approach. Will has done a really nice job getting better at the things he needs to get better at. Cam has done a really nice job of integrating himself. … They’ve both done a really nice job getting up to speed where they needed to.”