Jeffery Simmons isn’t buying the noise around Cam Ward.
The Titans defensive tackle made that much clear during a recent appearance on “The Set” podcast, where he backed Tennessee’s young quarterback and pushed back on the criticism that’s followed Ward since the Titans took him with the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Simmons said he sees a quarterback grinding every day and trying to prove himself from the jump.
"I still feel like I got a lot more growth to do in my game. I'm going on Year 8, but…the expectation, which we know come with being the No. 1 pick," Simmons explained, per Grant Gordon of the NFL's website.
"I personally see…the work continuously from Cam from every day being the first one at the building. That's no lie.
He's the first one at the building. You could feel, and you could tell the will that he really wants to be the best he could be for us.
And not just for us, but for himself, as well."
The Titans brought in former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll as their new offensive coordinator earlier this offseason, and the move has been viewed as a way to get more out of Ward’s physical tools. That conversation has been fueled by Ward’s rookie numbers, which were rough by any measure. According to Pro Football Reference, he finished 31st in the league with a 59.8 percent completion percentage, 32nd with a 33.2 adjusted QBR and 31st with an 80.2 passer rating.
That backdrop has only sharpened the spotlight heading into training camp, and Simmons believes Ward is aware of it. In his view, the quarterback is carrying plenty of motivation into Year 2.
"He can feel and he can see the doubt, that everyone keeps doubting him," Simmons added about Ward. "I mean, you got some guys call him a bust like, you know, that's fire [that fuels him]. ...Year 2 Cam Ward going to be what everyone don't really expect, but it's going to be something, one of them things that Cam, we knew that was you all along."
In Other News...
Titans Camp Battle Could Quietly Decide Robert Salehs Defense
Training camp is about to sort out more than just the Titans depth chart. Under Robert Saleh, the competition at right guard has become one of the quieter but more consequential battles on the roster, with Jackson Slater and Cordell Volson both in the mix as the team tries to stabilize the interior and keep the offense on schedule. It is the kind of job fight that can shape how a line functions long before the regular season starts.
The same is true on the edge, where the spot opposite Jermaine Johnson II is expected to draw real attention once camp gets rolling. Femi Oladejo and Jacob Martin headline that group, with rookie Keldric Faulk also expected to factor in, and the way Saleh parcels out those snaps should tell a lot about how he sees the front seven taking shape. For a defense built on pressure and rotation, those decisions may end up carrying more weight than they first appear. [Read more 🡒]
Former Titans Star Left Stunned By Travis Kelce Friendship Snub
The celebrity-heavy wedding scene around Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift had plenty of NFL representation, with names like George Kittle and Matthew Stafford showing up with family in tow. For former Titans lineman Taylor Lewan and ex-Titans linebacker Will Compton, though, the guest list brought a different kind of attention, since both had long considered themselves part of Kelces circle and expected to be in the mix for a day that blended football fame with pop-star spectacle.
Lewan sounded genuinely taken aback when the invitations didnt come his way, openly questioning what he might be doing wrong after seeing who was there. Compton had a similar reaction, saying he was flabbergasted while reacting to the photos and even noting Dean Blandinos presence, a reminder that the guest list was full of surprises even before the Titans duo realized they were on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]
Titans May Finally Have The Camp Battle Their Secondary Needed
The Titans added another piece to their secondary on March 12, signing Joshua Williams to a two-year contract after four seasons with the Chiefs. For a cornerback room that has spent too much time shuffling bodies because of injuries, Williams arrives as the kind of steady, experienced depth every defense wants but not every defense can find.
What makes him especially relevant in Tennessee is the role he can fill behind Alontae Taylor and Cor'Dale Flott at boundary corner. Williams brings size, special teams value and the sort of flexibility that can help a coaching staff keep its options open if the camp competition gets tight, and the Titans will be watching closely to see whether he can turn that backup job into something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]