Mike Borgonzi, Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll all need Cam Ward to succeed, but their different organizational clocks complicate an evaluation that requires patience and candor.

By PAUL KUHARSKY

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two things seem to be standing in the way of the Titans as they try to measure and develop Cam Ward, accelerate their franchise development and gain a degree of respectability.
Clocks and honesty.

Mike Borgonzi is in his second year as GM, and he hitched himself to Cam Ward in 2025. Robert Saleh had to buy into Ward to get the job, whether he really was in or not, and then hired a coordinator who was clearly in. Brian Daboll was head coach in 2025 of a team that tried to trade for the No. 1 spot to get Ward.

Cam Ward
Cam Ward/ Angie Flatt

The executive and his top two coaches all need Ward to succeed, but Borgonzi is more tied to him than Saleh and Daboll are.

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Paul Kuharsky has covered the Tennessee Titans since 1996, first for The Tennessean, then ESPN.com and now independently at PaulKuharsky.com. He served on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee for 11 years and is the longest-tenured Titans beat reporter in the franchise's history.