After the Tennessee Titans made Cam Ward the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, most observers expected the former Miami quarterback would quickly become the Titans’ new No. 1. Now that the team has announced that incumbent starter Will Levis will miss the season due to shoulder surgery,

Incumbent starter Will Levis entered camp as the team's second quarterback, offering the Titans a reasonable fallback should Ward struggle in camp or early in the season. However, on Monday, the team announced that Levis would undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.

Throughout the offseason, the Titans were very intentional in how they curated Cam Ward’s acclimation process. His development was assessed through a daily lens — not measured by how close he was to starting or being a franchise quarterback.