NASHVILLE — Cam Ward does not want to be the next quarterback to flame out with the franchise that drafted him in the first round. This year’s No. 1 overall pick had his coach, Brian Callahan, fired six weeks into his rookie season, and expressed a desire to have input on the next hire that is made.

He deserves a say.

Cam Ward must protect himself from Titans poor decision-making

Tennessee controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk has been on a firing spree these past four seasons.

It started with the in-season release of general manager Jon Robinson in 2022. Coach Mike Vrabel got the axe after the 2023 season, and Robinson’s replacement, Ran Carthon, met the same fate as his predecessor at the end of 2024. Callahan came in on thin ice this season, and failed to show sufficient growth around Ward and this year’s team after finishing 3-14 in his first year of his tenure.

Strunk had President of Football Operations Chad Brinker preaching ‘patience over panic’ coming into 2025, then strayed from her advsors’ plan again six weeks in. Strunk is a difficult figure in all of this to trust to do what’s in the best interest of her young quarterback.

“I want to meet all of them,” said Ward of the coaching candidates the team plans to interview. “Every coach who’s going to get the opportunity to come here, I want them to meet them, have conversations throughout the whole process with them because that’s someone that I’m going to be here with for that time. So we got to just continue to—me being around and being open to it no matter whoever we try to hire because I know at the end of the day who we do hire is going to be the right fit for us. Whether it’s a defensive person or an offensive person, they’re going to make sure that every person is in the right place, and make sure every person is set up for success.”

Ward went on to say that he has previously had conversations with Brinker and general manager Mike Borgonzi expressing the same sentiments.

It might be viewed by some as entitlement by Ward. The player who just got here and has precious little equity in the club wants to help dictate the direction it heads? What has he done to deserve a say?

The answer is that his professional future is anchored to a franchise that has now strung together four consecutive seasons of double-digit losses, and he (rightfully) doesn’t want to be the next first-round flameout to get dragged down with the ship.

“I have had a conversation with them about wanting to be involved,” Ward said. “They know how much I want to be involved. And then especially just not even with the scheme part of it just as the head coach who he is on a everyday basis. And then, we’ll get into the scheme what I know I’m good at, what I want do, what he thinks will also help me.”

Having some level of comfort with the next coach is an understandable sentiment. Whether the Titans actually grant Ward that input or seriously consider it remains to be seen.

Featured Image: USA TODAY Sports.