Titans Mailbag: Why Cam Ward Is Still the Biggest Question Facing the Titans

Cam Ward's development, Anthony Hill's path to playing time, offensive line uncertainty and the biggest caveats hiding beneath Titans offseason optimism.

By PAUL KUHARSKY

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Welcome people. Thanks for stopping by. It’s great to have you.

I’ve collected some excellent mail and I am here to provide the best insight I can.

A quick aside: Go New York, go New York, go.

How do people not know that catchy Knicks jingle?

My dislike of the NBA runs deep, but the Knicks have me back into it now. Nothing beats New York City in a championship series.

The fantastic Edley's BBQ is sponsoring this fantastic mailbag. You need to eat there or use their app to order in immediately. You'll regret it if you don't.

Caleb Rice Hoping for a great year, but if the Titans offense struggled what group would you think is the “culprit”? O-line?

Same for the defense, I believe in the front 7 but the secondary has me a little concerned.
Titan up!

Well, I think we’re presuming a lot about Cam Ward. The arrow is up, but it’s not straight up. I think people are falling into an expectation of linear progress and expecting everything is fixed and great with a year of experience, some mechanical work, and the arrival of Brian Daboll and a couple of better receivers. 

He was too inaccurate and too inconsistent and played off schedule too often. There is a lot of optimism that things will get better, but we need to see it.

So quarterback would be my No. 1 answer.

Other primary culprit candidates:

As you say, the O-line could be a problem. Defensively, I like what they’ve done at corner; however, I need to see those guys at work. The depth is an issue and it’s rare around here not to need to call on it.

Who has more pressure on them next season Ward or Saleh?

— The General (@mac9nj) June 5, 2026

I think it's really a matter of degrees here.

But Saleh is starting new and Ward already has a year of work with the Titans on his resume.

So I'd say Ward. We expect to really have a sense of who a quarterback is by the end of his second year, even if he's experienced a lot of change. Now Saleh, and really the people he hired, are going to have a big bearing on that.

{loadposion become}

But the head coach is in Year One of implementing his program and his schemes. 

Neither one is going to be in trouble heading into 2027 -- they've got longer-term commitments than that. But context is important. If the season isn't good, it probably has something to do with Ward. I think the conversation, then, will be more about him than his coach.

Zach Green Does Anthony Hill unseat Cody Barton’s starting role at linebacker this year?

I expect Anthony Hill to be a starter at some point for sure. And that’s in nickel, not just little-used base. This team isn’t good enough to be trading up in the second round for a player who won’t be in the field a lot.

If he shows more instincts and better flow than Barton, which his resume suggests he will, I fully expect he will wind up in front of Barton at some point. The one big question is how well he understands the defense and can communicate after his speaker is turned off.

2 Parter:

What would you tell fans to keep a level head during a time when so much hype can happen and everything looks good on paper.. etc

&

What would you consider a reasonable success for this season?

— Tres Winn (@TresWinn) June 5, 2026

Offseasons are all about hope.

And the Titans have provided cause for a lot of it. But a lot of it comes with caveats that we tend not to mention.

Let’s look. We hear the first sentence a lot, and the second one not so much.

Robert Saleh looks and sounds like a good hire. But he didn’t win in New York.

The arrow is up on Cam Ward. But he’s got deficiencies we are counting on fading away. (See item one above.)

The defensive line is stacked. But many of the additions are more run-stoppers than pass rushers and there still isn’t a bendy, edge-burning guy among them.

They’ve got two new starting cornerbacks. But the depth behind them is quite weak.

Carmen Bricillo has a great reputation as the new offensive line coach. But center and right guard are up in the air and smart and tough can only go so far.

Cedric Gray is very promising and Anthony Hill is a big-value addition at inside linebacker. But we still have to see how this team’s coverage plan for the position works.

Tony Pollard has run for 1,000-yard plus in four consecutive seasons. But he lacks second-level burst that will cost the Titans yards.

The Titans will run more two-tight. But Daniel Bellinger has yet to show he can do much as a receiver.

Calvin Ridley took less money and is a top-three receiver for them. We don’t know how he will bounce back from a serious injury as he ages.

Amani Hooker is a glue guy for sure. He was overextended last year, but was that the only reason his play dipped?

As for what defines success, I think they need to double their win total, minimally, and come out of the season knowing unquestionably that Cam Ward is the long-term quarterback.

Rob Nell What makes B. Oliver such a good ST player? I don't remember any big plays by him last yr. Why is keeping him better than a DB or LB on Sts to make tackles?

He’s got a very good understanding of the geometry of it all, the instincts for it and the right kind of speed.

I didn’t see big plays by him last year because he got hurt in Week 2 and didn’t resurface until the finale. It was a lost year because of his knee injury.

There will be DBs and LBs on special teams, but you need to be able to draw from your depth at tight end, running back and wide receiver too in order to have the right people up on a Sunday to protect yourself against injuries.

Jared Herbst When will we see the red facemasks?

There is no plan for it. The new uniforms are the new uniforms. They aren’t going to be tinkering with variations any time soon.

Maybe you’ll get something in the Rivalries uniform the Titans will wear this year as the AFC South is up in the rotation.

Your thoughts on if being flexed into prime time is on the table if we are an exciting team?

— wheel (@chasethesack14) June 5, 2026

I think it’s legitimately on the table for anyone who’s unexpectedly good. 

The way this schedule came out, it’s clear they want premier games in premier slots. If they hold to that with flexing, that means they should get out of bad games more often. If the Titans are good/compelling, they can pop up there. But it’s not just about them; it’s about their matchup.

What’s the “plan” at C and RG for the upcoming season?

— Ryan Flory (@ryanflory6) June 5, 2026

I think Austin Schlottmann is going to be the center. Among their plan Bs at center when the market went awry for them was Luke Fortner, who’d started a lot for the Jaguars and Saints. And they thought Schlottmann was as good as Fortner, who wound up in Carolina

Right guard looks to be a real competition between Cordell Volson, who had some success playing for Cincinnati, and Jackson Slater, 2025’s sixth-rounder.