Titans' Cam Ward has high trade value despite rocky start

The numbers were rough, the Titans struggled and there were plenty of moments when Tennessee's offense looked, well, not good. Still, that hasn't stopped some around the league from believing Ward would command a hefty return if he were somehow made available. ESPN's Bill Barnwell recently valued Ward at two first-round picks in a trade projection, and it's a number that actually makes sense once you look beyond the stat sheet. On paper, Ward had a difficult first year. He finished with the league's lowest Total QBR in 2025, took far too many sacks, completed less than 60% of his passes and averaged under six yards per attempt. Those aren't numbers that usually inspire much confidence. Or any confidence, really. Barnwell, though, wasn't sold on the numbers alone. More sports news: Mike LaFleur Hire Already Seen as a Win for Cardinals "Watching the Titans more closely, though, I saw a quarterback who consistently got to the right answers and made plays out of structure, only to be let down by dismal tackle play and one of the worst receiving corps in the league," he wrote. That's an important distinction. Quarterback plays never happen alone, and Ward spent much of the season trying to create behind shaky protection while throwing to a group that struggled to separate. There were moments that suggested the talent is still there, even if the production never quite caught up. Barnwell also acknowledged Ward wasn't viewed as a can't-miss prospect entering the NFL. He wasn't the unanimous No. 1 overall pick, and there will always be teams that aren't convinced he's a franchise quarterback. Even so, the upside is hard to ignore. A young quarterback with high-end physical tools will always have value, especially in a game where finding one is easier said than done. For now, two first-round picks feel like a reasonable price. Ward's rookie season raised plenty of questions, but it didn't erase the potential that made him such an interesting prospect in the first place.