In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans made Cam Ward the 1st overall pick. However, even without playing a single snap, he has already reached an unfortunate distinction not seen in 14 years.
For many scouts, Cam Ward was the best quarterback prospect available this year. He had a solid college career, primarily with the Miami Hurricanes, which is why the Titans didn’t hesitate to draft him.
While there were debates between him and Shedeur Sanders, Tennessee ultimately chose Ward. Now, he must prove he can elevate the team and become the franchise quarterback the Titans have long been searching for.
Cam Ward joins exclusive list with rare 14-year NFL occurrence
Prior to the 2025 NFL Draft, many analysts believed the Titans might select Travis Hunter with the No. 1 overall pick. Nevertheless, in desperate need of a quarterback, the AFC South team chose Cam Ward instead.
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According to scouts, Ward was the best player available at his position. Many believe his mindset and leadership could guide the Titans toward long-awaited success.
In recent years, several quarterbacks have been selected with the top pick. In fact, over the past 10 drafts, eight quarterbacks have been taken 1st overall—including Ward.
However, the former Hurricane has now earned an unfortunate distinction not seen in 14 years. Despite the trend of 1st overall picks appearing in prime-time games during their rookie seasons, Ward will not feature in any such games this year.
Cameron Ward #QB15 of Miami-FL speaks to the media during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The last No. 1 overall quarterback to not appear in a prime-time game as a rookie was Cam Newton in 2011. He went on to have a stellar career with the Carolina Panthers, even leading the team to Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos.
Ward’s absence from primetime isn’t necessarily about him—it’s more about his team. The Titans are far from being viewed as contenders, and a rebuilding franchise isn’t typically granted national exposure, even if it features a high-profile rookie quarterback.
“We kind of have this adage that you play your way into primetime,” NFL Vice President of Broadcast Planning and Scheduling Mike North told Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. “You don’t draft your way into primetime. So the Titans are one of the teams that don’t currently have a national television window assigned. But that’s what things like flexible scheduling are for. And if you look down the stretch for the Titans, they play San Francisco in Week 15, Kansas City in Week 16. They’ve got the same opportunity every other team has to play their way into a national window.”
Can the 2025 NFL schedule change?
While the Titans currently don’t have any prime-time games scheduled for this season, that could change once the year begins. However, Tennessee would need a strong start to make a compelling case for national attention.
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The NFL schedule is flexible, allowing for game changes later in the season. Still, this usually requires a current prime-time team to underperform, making its matchup less appealing. It’s not common, but not impossible—Cam Ward will certainly aim to lead the Titans to that kind of turnaround and prove he’s the game-changer they’ve been waiting for.
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