During a postgame interview, reporter Jared Stillman challenged Ward’s assessment. After Ward explained why he believes he can be a competent NFL quarterback, Stillman pressed, “Doesn’t a very good NFL quarterback have better results than you have?”
Ward faced the statistics head-on. Stillman noted that Ward is 3-15 as a starter, finished 2025 with the worst quarterback rating (QBR) in the league, and was 26th in QBR in the 2026 season after Week 1. He also highlighted Ward’s standing as 107th of 108 in PFF passing grade in the 2025 season, plus a position at 26th after Week 1 of the current year.
Ward did not dwell on the criticisms. He pointed to the context of each game, acknowledging that Tennessee has not yet secured wins, and emphasized the varying factors in a game such as the defense faced and the coaching coordination on the other side.
“I think it comes with the game. It comes with the defense you’re playing. It comes with what the defensive coordinator’s philosophy is,” Ward said. “Every game is not going to be a shootout. Some games could feature a poor passer rating or a low completion percentage, but the key is the win and loss record, and we haven’t achieved that yet.”
That point rings true from a results perspective: the Titans finished Ward’s rookie season with a 3-14 record, and they opened the 2026 campaign with a 23-10 loss to the New York Jets. In the Week 1 game against New York, Ward completed 19 of 32 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown, avoiding an interception, but Tennessee’s passing attack struggled to generate big plays, with no completions longer than 14 yards and Ward under consistent pressure.
These performances add to questions about Ward’s development. In 2025, Ward finished with 3,309 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, completing 59.8% of his passes. He was sacked 55 times, the most in the NFL that season.
Ward acknowledged his own growth areas, framing confidence within a realistic lens. “I think I’m a very good quarterback. I think I do a lot of things differently that a lot of quarterbacks can’t do. It’s also stuff that I have to get better at, as some things that I lack. That’s a process that you take on each and every day. I have great coaches around me to continue to push me to that level that I want to play at. And when the tide turns, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a different story.”
The discussion comes as Ward’s long-term status as Tennessee’s franchise quarterback continues to be a major topic of conversation. Head coach Robert Saleh has previously called Ward a “really, really, really good QB,” but Ward’s NFL record stands at 3-15 as a starter.
Ward now has another chance to alter the narrative as the Titans prepare to host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, a challenging test following a performance that left many questions unanswered.
