Robert Saleh acknowledges recurring footwork problems while Cam Ward calls his footwork very good. The disconnect raises questions about the young quarterback's self-evaluation.
By PAUL KUHARSKY
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Too often, Cam Ward tells us something about himself that simply is not in evidence, or that contradicts evidence.
I don’t know if it’s a defense mechanism, if it’s pride, if it’s bravado.
I do know that it doesn’t help him. For those who still think he might play himself into a serviceable NFL quarterback or for those, like me, saying he should still get more time, he makes the case increasingly hard when he stands behind the interview podium and strays so far from the candid assessment he made after Week 4’s 26-0 loss in Houston last season when he said, “If we keep it a buck right now, we ass.”
Some teammates, coaches and brass hated that, largely because he used “we” and not “I,” though he hit a bull’s-eye few of his teammates didn’t have the gumption to even aim for.
But earlier this year he said he’s a “very good” quarterback and Wednesday he said he thinks he’s “very good at the footwork right now.” He’s currently 30th in passer rating at 73.8. And he's 23rd in completion percentage at 62.0, particularly troubling considering his exceedingly low yards per attempt (5.0) – issues often connected directly to footwork.
I’m sorry. This is a big problem. His coach says he falls back into bad footwork habits. Virtually every close observer sees issues. There is a degree of delusion here and it’s a major issue. #Titans. https://t.co/ZHXKwDWHYg
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) October 28, 2026
This is after Robert Saleh said Monday that the second-year quarterback unacceptably reverts into old habits “where he might rush it a bit” and assured the media “he recognizes it, guys.”
Yes, it’s good that Ward went on to say he’s continually working on it.
But the nonchalance, say-anything meter is rising at a rate faster than his game is, and people should be tired of it.
I firmly believe he believes he is better than he is. The Titans have a 4-24 record with him starting. His calm and steady demeanor and the fact that he has not turned sour and defensive should be appreciated. Still, it’s becoming harder to come to terms with the fact that the improvement is so slow, the results aren’t changing and he’s not really publicly raising his hand.
Saleh preaches patience with the process. But Ward's confidence makes me wonder how urgently he recognizes the need for improvement.
How much more time should it take?
Confidence vs. Evidence
I’ve been a proponent of patience. I’m not demanding that Ward be benched or declaring him a bust. I am asking whether he has a realistic understanding of where he stands.
But it makes me crazy when I follow up someone else’s footwork question with a specific about his footwork on a missed deep ball to Daniel Bellinger late in the game and he says “I think it’s pretty good.”
“I think I just got happy on the throw, I think I could have just threw it with more air instead of trying to drive it to him and that’s when I’ve got to hit on the shirt,” Ward said.
Ward had both feet, both sets of toes, facing parallel to the line of scrimmage.
Maybe there is a disconnect about what good footwork looks like. Matt Hasselbeck told me not long ago that, “One of the hardest things for me in my 23-year college and pro career was buying into new techniques that my current coach was coaching.”
“At times, it was hard for me to let go of what my previous coach had wanted from me,” he said.
The Habits Remain
We don’t know the behind-the-scenes complications Ward and his coaches are sorting through. We do know that breaking habits is crucial to his success and it’s taking a long time. He had an entire offseason with his private coach Darrell Colbert as well as a lot of time with Shea Tierney and Brian Daboll to get things sorted out.
Yet we're still hearing about the same habits.
His teammates, by all appearances, love him. He's doing a lot right beyond production, and that matters.
But confidence is most valuable when it's accompanied by an accurate understanding of deficiencies.
Ward's public assessments too often suggest he thinks he's further along than his performance indicates.
The other 52 Titans are expected to recognize their shortcomings and correct their mistakes. Their quarterback should set the standard, not be some sort of exception to it.
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