The Tennessee Titans are making it clear: they’re all in on Cam Ward. And now, they’ve brought in someone who’s been all in on him for a long time - Brian Daboll.
The move to hire Daboll, fresh off his departure from the New York Giants, adds a fascinating layer to the Titans’ plan for their young quarterback. Turns out, Daboll’s admiration for Ward didn’t start when Tennessee made him the No. 1 overall pick.
According to league sources, Daboll was so enamored with Ward during last year’s draft cycle that the Giants made an aggressive push to trade up for him - offering the No. 3 pick, a 2025 first-rounder, and multiple Day 2 selections. The Titans held their ground.
They weren’t letting Ward go.
Fast forward to now, and the two are finally on the same sideline. Tennessee officially brought in Robert Saleh as head coach, then quickly added Daboll in a key offensive role. While Daboll had drawn interest from teams like the Raiders for head coaching gigs, the Titans moved swiftly to lock him in - not as the face of the franchise, but as the architect of its offensive future.
And that future centers on Ward.
The rookie showed glimpses of what made him the top pick. He threw for over 3,100 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions - solid numbers for a first-year quarterback adjusting to NFL speed.
But he also took a beating. Ward was sacked 55 times, a number that speaks volumes about both the state of the offensive line and the need for a more quarterback-friendly scheme.
That’s where Daboll comes in.
We’ve seen this story before. In Buffalo, he helped mold Josh Allen from a toolsy, inconsistent rookie into one of the league’s most dangerous weapons.
Later, in New York, he worked with Jaxson Dart, trying to coax production out of a limited offense. While Ward doesn’t have Allen’s size or raw power, he does bring his own blend of mobility, creativity, and arm talent - and Daboll’s track record suggests he knows how to build around a young quarterback’s strengths.
This isn’t just a coaching hire. It’s a calculated investment in a quarterback’s development. The Titans are betting that Daboll, who once tried to trade the farm to get Ward, can now help him grow into the franchise cornerstone they envisioned when they took him No. 1 overall.
The pairing feels like a long time coming - and now that it’s finally here, the Titans are hoping it becomes the foundation of something much bigger.