The Tennessee Titans are having a dismal 2026 run so far, going winless across the first five weeks. Titans quarterback Cam Ward, in particular, received much criticism for his performance in his sophomore season in the league, leading critics to call for his removal from the starting QB role. One former NFL quarterback, who believes Ward has the potential to develop, feels that being benched wouldn’t be a bad thing.
While discussing the Titans’ predicament on the Fitz & Whit podcast, former quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick felt that the Tennessee team should bench Ward for the time being and use veteran backup Mitchell Trubisky to give the younger QB a chance to work on himself.
“I actually believe in Cam Ward. … I think the best thing for his development is to put him on the bench for the next few games,” Fitzpatrick said. “Guess what? I’ve been in this situation plenty. It’s going to provide him a different perspective. He’s going to be able to take a step back, he’s going to get to watch somebody else operate in offense.
“Mitchell Trubisky, so, a 10-year vet, a guy that’s going to go in, you’re just going to see it from a different perspective. You’re going to be able to pull back, but it’s also, it’s going to give you some time to work on yourself.”
Ward, the No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft, didn’t get much time to develop his skills. In his first season as a starter, he went 3-14. While his first year could be excused since he was only a rookie, there was an expectation that Ward would be able to clean up in his second year.
But in 2026, Ward completed just 98 of 155 pass attempts for 896 yards and three touchdowns. Analysts have noted inconsistencies in his technique, particularly his footwork issues and how unsettled he seems when the pocket breaks down. According to The Tennesseans Mike Organ, Ward has one of the lowest NFL completion rates under pressure at 36.6%.
Fitzpatrick also spoke of his own experience of being benched by the Texans back in 2014. He insisted that the two games he spent watching backup QB Ryan Mallett play gave him a lot of valuable insight into which aspects of his own game needed polishing. Mallett went 1-1 as the starter, and was replaced by Fitzpatrick after suffering a chest injury.
The Titans QB, however, is committed to doing better.
“No, I’m not a loser,” Ward said after the loss to the Houston Texans after being asked if he had become used to losing. “The record may say that we are right now. But at the end of the day, you have got to go through some stuff to try to get wins.
“We attack this each and every day, but for that, if you’re able to look at everyone in our locker room’s track record, we’ve all won games at a high level, and we’re looking forward to doing that in the long run.”
The Titans have a new head coach in Robert Saleh, and a new offensive coordinator in Brian Daboll. This is the second time in as many years Ward has had to learn a new system, which could also be playing a part in the QB not being able to tap into his potential.
The former NFL star believes benching Ward will not only give the Titans, who are still looking for their first win, the support of a veteran, but also give Ward time to understand exactly where he’s struggling and hopefully trigger a similarly dramatic improvement in his performance.
In the post-game conference after the loss to the Texans, Ward was also asked why he deserved to be the team’s long-term answer at QB. His answer carried some weight.
“I just think my process,” Ward said. “… I love the criticism. I love everything that comes with the quarterback territory. At the end of the day, it’s the best position in the world. Stuff goes the right way, you take all the credit. Stuff goes the wrong way, you take all the blame.
“I know I’m capable of this position. I have the right guys around me to uplift me and myself to uplift them, and we’re going to put it together eventually.”
It is high time he lives up to these claims.
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The post “Put Him on the Bench”: Ex-NFL QB Asks Titans to Make a Stern Decision on Cam Ward’s Development Amid Growing Criticism appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.