We Are Very Mid Right Now’ — Titans No. 1 Pick Cam Ward Gets Brutally Honest About Tennessee’s Offense

It’s not often a rookie quarterback walks into an NFL locker room and publicly calls his offense “very mid.” And yet, in just a few short weeks at the helm of the Tennessee Titans’ new-look offense, Cam Ward is already making it clear: he’s not interested in sugarcoating anything.

“We are very mid right now,” Ward said with a tone that was equal parts honest, frustrated, and determined. “There’s a lot we’ve got to clean up. It’s not where it needs to be, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise.”

The Titans’ No. 1 pick didn’t say it with malice. He wasn’t throwing teammates under the bus, and he wasn’t flailing in defeat. But he was being candid—brutally candid—about what he’s seeing every day in training camp. The routes aren’t always sharp. The blocking isn’t always clean. The rhythm is inconsistent. The flashes are there, yes. But the consistency? Not yet. And that, in Ward’s eyes, is the problem.

The rookie arrived in Nashville with sky-high expectations after a prolific college career that took him from Incarnate Word to Washington State, dazzling fans with his arm talent, off-platform creativity, and leadership presence. He’s smart, composed, and mobile. He can make every throw, extend plays with his legs, and reads defenses better than most quarterbacks his age. The Titans drafted him not just to be their future, but potentially their present. And right now, Cam Ward sees a unit still figuring out how to function.

The comment about being “very mid” has spread quickly through the media, partly because it’s blunt and partly because it perfectly captures what everyone around the team already sensed: this offense isn’t humming yet. It’s sputtering. One day, it looks promising—Ward hits a deep crosser in stride, the run game picks up rhythm, and protection holds. The next day, it’s penalties, missed assignments, and red-zone struggles. Inconsistency is the only constant.

To his credit, Ward didn’t use the offensive line’s flux as an excuse, though he easily could have. With new faces being shuffled in and out and a still-undecided depth chart at several positions, protection has been shaky. Ward has been forced off his spot often, and while he’s made plays on the move, even he knows that won’t work forever.

“Look, I get it—it’s camp. Guys are learning new systems, new techniques, new terminology,” Ward said. “But at the end of the day, football is football. We’ve got to execute better. That starts with me, too.”

What makes his remarks resonate isn’t just their content—it’s the fact that he’s taking ownership of the team’s struggles just as much as he’s pointing them out. This isn’t the rant of a frustrated player trying to deflect blame. It’s the reflection of a quarterback who knows the offense will only go as far as he takes it. That type of accountability, especially from a rookie, isn’t always common in the NFL. But it’s already setting the tone in Tennessee.

Teammates haven’t bristled at the honesty. In fact, several players, when asked about Ward’s comment, echoed similar sentiments. One veteran receiver shrugged and said, “He’s not wrong.” Another added, “Cam’s trying to light a fire under us. He’s not here to babysit anybody, and I respect that.”

The Titans are in the early stages of building something new under head coach Brian Callahan, and growing pains were always expected. The team is coming off a transitional season and is attempting to reshape its identity on both sides of the ball. The offense, in particular, has been under the microscope. With Derrick Henry gone and the unit no longer able to rely on the brute force of its iconic power run game, the scheme has had to evolve—and fast.

Ward is central to that evolution. He was drafted to modernize the offense, bring explosive playmaking to the quarterback position, and help elevate a young core of pass catchers still developing their timing and confidence. But evolution is rarely smooth, and even the most talented quarterbacks struggle when the parts around them are in flux.

Training camp has highlighted those growing pains in full. The Titans have yet to find offensive fluidity. Red zone drills have been up and down. Situational scrimmages have exposed flaws in communication and alignment. The two-minute offense, in particular, has shown cracks under pressure. These are typical camp challenges, but Ward’s acknowledgment of them was refreshing in a league where players often default to clichés.

He could have said they’re “getting better every day.” He could have said it’s just about “trusting the process.” Instead, he called it what it is—mid. And in doing so, he may have done more for the team’s urgency than any coach’s speech could.

Ward’s comments aren’t just getting attention for being blunt; they’re resonating because they carry the weight of accountability. There’s a clear sense from watching him that he wants to be the one who sets the standard—not just by leading huddles and throwing touchdowns, but by speaking the truth even when it’s uncomfortable.

That kind of leadership has already caught the attention of the Titans’ coaching staff. Callahan, while careful not to overreact to one quote, praised Ward’s mindset and said he appreciates the quarterback’s desire to hold everyone—himself included—to a higher level.

“We’re not looking for false confidence,” Callahan said when asked about the rookie’s remarks. “Cam’s a competitor. He wants to be great. He wants the offense to be great. And when it’s not there yet, he’s going to speak up. That’s the kind of leadership we want.”

The truth is, most NFL offenses look out of sync during the first weeks of camp. Defenses are generally ahead of offenses early on, particularly when schemes are new and players are adjusting to each other. The Titans aren’t panicking, and neither is Ward. But he’s not hiding behind that reality either.

There’s also the matter of Ward’s own development. As much as he’s identifying issues with the group, he’s also been open about his personal need to improve. Timing, pocket presence, and command of the playbook are all areas he’s targeting. He’s been spending extra time with his receivers, running through walk-throughs after practice, and asking coaches to break down film in finer detail. That work ethic is part of why his words carry weight. He’s not criticizing from the sideline—he’s grinding through the same challenges, if not more.

The Titans will continue installing their offense over the coming weeks, and preseason games will provide the first real glimpse of how close—or far—they are from shaking the “mid” label. For now, though, it’s clear that Cam Ward is more than just another first-round quarterback. He’s a young man willing to step into the spotlight and tell it like it is. And that honesty, even if uncomfortable, may be exactly what Tennessee’s offense needs.

Because when your rookie quarterback is already calling the team out with blunt truth and following it up with work, focus, and a growing command of the locker room, you’re not just seeing a quarterback in progress—you’re seeing a leader being born. The offense may be “very mid” for now, but if Ward’s words and actions continue to align, it may not stay that way for long.