Cam Ward did not have an easy ride against the San Francisco 49ers. While he deserves criticism for his play, his hairstyle also drew flak from a veteran media figure.

“That was a miserable performance,” Jason Whitlock said on his IG page. “Y’all know how I am about appearance. That’s not a quarterback hairstyle. Cam Ward does not look like a grown man who’s about his business.

“There was a young man in Charlotte who said, ‘Now that I’ve made it to the Super Bowl, I’m MVP, I’m gonna grow my hair out like I’m preparing myself for a life in prison.’ The whole thing went downhill. These hairstyles tell you something about where people’s mindset is. Cam Ward has the wrong mentality, and hairstyle is a tell.”

For context, Whitlock was referring to Cam Newton. To this day, the former quarterback proudly wears his dreads.

Get The Huddle Newsletter. The day's biggest NFL stories — rivalries, matchups, expert analysis, power rankings, and insider draft news.

Cam Ward started the game well. On Tennessee’s first drive, he helped the Titans move 95 yards in 11 plays and score a touchdown. He completed two passes, while the running game did most of the work. After that, Ward had a hard time. On his next two drives, he completed only 3 of 8 passes for 23 yards, and the Titans gained just 15 total yards.

He finished the game 5-of-12 for 57 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. Cam Ward did take responsibility for his poor performance after the game.

“Got to continue to clean up things in the pass game, with myself and my receivers seeing eye to eye,” Ward said. “I got to continue to give them better chances, making plays. I think once we get that, we’ll be really good.”

Ward struggled with accuracy in his rookie season, too. He completed 59.8% of his passes and averaged only 5.9 yards per attempt. His NFL debut against Denver was especially difficult, as he completed just 12 of 28 passes for 112 yards. Picked No. 1 overall in the 2025 draft, Ward has unfortunately been underwhelming so far.

Even though the quarterback did not play well in the preseason game, that does not mean he is not serious about football. Head coach Robert Saleh has previously praised his attitude and work ethic. Back in April, he said Ward has the “right work ethic.”

And his preseason performance doesn’t make him a bad player, and Saleh still trusts him.

“It’s the first time in live bullets, and there is a trust thing,” he said in the postgame presser. “… It’s time on task. It’s building trust with his teammates. It’s building confidence in himself. There’s no doubt Cam is capable, we’ve just got to go out and execute.”

Will Cam Ward shake off the rookie jitters in the next game? We will have to wait and see.