Cam Ward is expected to play, albeit on a snap count, as the Tennessee Titans visit the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL preseason. The second-year quarterback is determined to make the most of every opportunity he gets to test himself, and he made that clear to head coach Robert Saleh.
Starting quarterbacks—and NFL starters in general—rarely play more than a couple of drives in Week 1 of the preseason. For example, San Francisco’s quarterback Brock Purdy won’t play against Tennessee in the preseason. Regardless, Ward made his intentions clear as the Titans take on the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
“Cam Ward said he’s excited to get more than a couple of drives in the preseason game on Thursday. Ward said he’s looking forward to getting into a rhythm,” Turron Davenport of ESPN NFL Nation reported on his X account.
Ward won’t play much
Albeit his personal wish for the upcoming preseason game against the Niners, it’s unlikely Saleh and the Titans will risk Ward by playing him for too long. It’s only the first preseason game, at the end of the day.
Brock Purdy and Cam Ward during the 2025 NFL season.
As important as it is for Ward and Tennessee that the starting quarterback finds his footing before Week 1 of the NFL regular season, keeping him safe and away from injuries or setbacks is paramount.
Ward will get his chance to lead more than a couple of drives and play up to an entire quarter or half later in the preseason. For the time being, he must be content with stepping onto the field for a couple of drives.
Who will be playing instead of Ward?
Ward will start the game for the Titans against the Niners but will be replaced early on. Instead, backup quarterbacks Mitchell Trubisky, Will Levis, and Hendon Hooker will share most of the offensive drives.
They have much more to prove, as there is no debate over who the Titans’ starting quarterback is, but the QB2 role is still up for grabs.
Ward wants to walk his talk
Coming off a heated week of joint practices against the 49ers, Ward wants to send his message on the field. That’s not to say he didn’t engage in the trash talk throughout the week, though. According to reports from practice, Ward and San Francisco star Fred Warner went at it, though it was all in good competitive spirit.
“Yeah, [Warner was talking a lot]. I got him riled up a little bit. But that’s what I want to see. I want him to be at his best, so when I’m at my best, I know what I can and can’t do in a game,” Ward said after the Titans’ joint practice with the Niners. “He helped me out a lot. I started talking (expletive). The right things to say to a guy like that, because they don’t hear that a lot from specific quarterbacks.”
While Warner will likely play limited snaps as well in the opening week of the NFL Preseason, Ward is looking to send a message in the few plays he goes up against the 49ers’ starting defense, and show them he is nothing to play with entering his sophomore year in the league.
