Titans reportedly turn down massive trade from Giants for top QB Cam Ward officially tying him to 2025 NFL Draft mate Abdul Carter
Cam Ward and Abdul Carter are forever tied together by trade proposal.
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans have their quarterback of the future, officially selecting Cam Ward with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Just before the commissioner stepped to the podium to announce Ward as the newest Tennessee Titan, Adam Schefter reported that the Titans turned down a shocking trade offer from the New York Giants.
According to Schefter, the Giants called the Titans and offered pick No. 3, their first-round selection in 2026, and multiple other picks for the number one pick. That package likely included a third-round pick in this year's draft. New York tried to make a move to get their QB, but Tennessee wasn't interested.
If it were me, I would have accepted that offer.
Why the Titans should have traded down
Trading down with the Giants would have landed the Titans edge rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3. It most likely would have also given them two selections in the second round as well as a third-rounder this year. That's exactly how you jumpstart a rebuild.
Without adding a notable quarterback for 2025, the Titans would probably struggle this season and pick towards the top of next year's draft as well. For all we know, the Giants could still be a long way from competing and have a top 10 pick in 2026 too.
This trade could have given Tennessee Abdul Carter, two picks in the Top 10 next year, an additional early second-rounder this year, a third-rounder this year, and maybe more…That's enough ammunition to land you a stud quarterback prospect in the future to go along with Abdul Carter and whatever other young players the front office were to select.
I feel like that would've been a really smart route to go, especially for a first-year GM. Admittedly, none of it will matter if Cam Ward is the guy the Titans think he is. The reason they turned down the trade is simple: They believe Ward is a franchise quarterback and that's more valuable than anything.
Ward is forever tied to Carter
Regardless of how this decision turns out for the Titans, Ward and Carter will forever be tied to one another when the NFL world looks back on this draft. We will always ask what could or would have been.
If Ward doesn't pan out and Carter is a perennial DPOTY candidate…the Titans will never forget it.
If Ward is a Top 10 NFL QB and wins playoff games in a Titans uniform…the Giants will forever be thinking about what could have been. If Ward is an MVP candidate with the Titans, Drew Lock's efforts in a Week 17 win that cost New York the No. 1 overall pick will be a day that lives in infamy. It won't matter how good Carter is.
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