Preseason doesn’t determine how a team’s regular season will unfold. However, it can sometimes offer a glimpse of what a team and its players may look like. The preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers carried significant weight for both second-year quarterback Cam Ward and first-year Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh. While Saleh was leading the Titans against his former team, Ward was expected to show some poise following a disappointing rookie season.

However, Ward struggled tremendously despite a solid start. The quarterback led the Titans’ first drive, which ended with 95 yards, followed by a Tony Pollard rushing touchdown. What followed, however, raised concerns for the Titans ahead of the regular season. In the next two drives, Ward completed only 15 yards, as the Titans punted both times. Ward finished the matchup throwing for 5-of-12 for 57 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions.

After that went down, Coach Saleh addressed his quarterback’s performance and noted that while Ward looked good during training camp, he rushed his decisions in the game.

“It felt like his decisions were right, it just felt like he was a little sped up more than he had been in camp,” Saleh said. “It’s first time live bullets. It looked like his mechanics were a little more sped up than it has been, which is good because we can go correct it, which is what the preseason is for. I’m sure he’ll look back at it and see that the protection was pretty good and he could have went through his process a little bit better.”

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Ward, on the other hand, noted that while the Titans were good in the running game, the team still needs to figure out its passing game. The Titans recorded 279 total yards, including 167 rushing but just 112 passing yards. For a broader context, Ward connected with No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate three times, but all three passes were incomplete. It raised a major concern, considering Saleh played his first-stringers against Kyle Shanahan’s backups.

“We were real good in the run game, real sound like we’ve been all camp. We’ve got to continue to clean up things in the pass game, with myself and my receivers seeing eye to eye,” Ward said. “I’ve got to continue to give them better chances, making plays. I think once we get that we’ll be really good.”

The 2026 season carries significant weight for Cam Ward. After all, he has yet to live up to the expectations that come with being a former first-overall pick. During his rookie year, Ward threw for 3,169 yards and 15 touchdowns against seven interceptions while taking 55 sacks. The Titans, meanwhile, finished last in their division with a 3-14 record. That said, with Saleh at the helm and Ward under center, the Titans may have won their preseason opener 19-13, but the matchup still raised some concerns about the quarterback.