Despite the Titans recording a 3-14 record in Ward’s rookie season, the 23-year-old signal-caller showed glimpses of being a franchise QB for Tennessee. Toward the end of the campaign, Ward put together a four-game streak of throwing two touchdowns as the Titans went 2-2 in Weeks 14-17. He finished the season with 3,169 passing yards for 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Ward did, however, suffer a right shoulder injury in the season finale, necessitating some rehab to begin the offseason. Saleh did not want to add a timetable for Ward’s recovery, but he added that the QB’s “progressing really well.”
Now heading into his second season, Ward will have to learn a new playbook with new Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. The former Giants head coach has been known to develop quarterbacks along his stops in the NFL. As the OC in Buffalo, Daboll developed Josh Allen into a star with the Bills before taking the Giants head coaching job. In 2022, Daboll helped Daniel Jones and the Giants to Big Blue’s first postseason berth since 2016. During his final year in New York, Daboll inserted Jaxson Dart into the starting lineup a few weeks into the campaign, and despite his midseason firing oversaw Dart become a potential long-term answer at QB for the Giants.
Saleh believes Daboll’s experience working with quarterbacks could benefit the Titans and Ward.
“That’s going to be awesome,” Saleh said about the OC-QB duo. “I’m sure they’ll bicker at each other every once in a while, and they’ll challenge each other often. But that is the exact temperament that you want out of your quarterback.”
Saleh, Daboll and Ward will enter the next phase of their journey together when the Titans begin the first day of their offseason program on April 7, followed by voluntary minicamps from April 21-23 and the start of organized team activities on May 18.
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