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Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jeff Fisher explains the biggest difference between Cam Ward and Titans legend Steve McNair comparisons
Jeff Fisher explains the biggest difference between Cam Ward and Titans legend Steve McNair comparisons originally appeared on A to Z Sports. NASHVILLE -- Few people understand the history of the Tennessee Titans - Houston Oilers franchise than former coach Jeff Fisher. The club drafted quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2025, who came in with stylistic comparisons to legendary passer Steve McNair. Advertisement I asked Fisher what he made of those comparisons in an appearance on 104.5 The Zone's The Buck Reising Show recently. Cam Ward has similar on-field characteristics to former NFL Co-MVP Steve McNair View the original article to see embedded media. Who better to ask about the player comp being made by many in the pre-draft process. 'What we did in the way we handled Steve was, we wanted to get him experienced in his first year," said Fisher. "Mind you, that's, well, come in and play if we're trailing by a lot and we'll mop up or if we're ahead or there's an injury. And so, he got valuable experience his first year. And then, we kind of moved into the second year. By the third year, people were asking me, how was he? I was like, well, I just watched. This guy's going to be pretty good. Advertisement "And even in year three, four and five, when he was really starting to come on the scene and winning games for us, people would ask, is he a top five quarterback? And at that point, I couldn't ask that question, but I certainly could say he's a top five football player. And that's what he was. He was a football player first. And then, as he moved in and really fine-tuned the quarterback position, then of course he's a co-MVP. But are there similarities between the two? Physically, I don't think you're gonna ever find anybody that matches Steve's physical characteristics, the toughness, the strength.' Ward and McNair are both highly regarded for their competitive toughness, though the latter had higher-level traits at the position. McNair, however, was a product of a different generation of quarterback development. He did not take the reigns as the full-time starter until his third year as a pro. Ward will not have that same luxury as the clear option for a franchise in desperate need of immediate impact. While current Titans coach Brian Callahan has been firm on the idea of letting Ward earn the role through competition with embattled third-year quarterback Will Levis, Ward is the only real option moving forward. Advertisement Where Ward and McNair differ most View the original article to see embedded media. Comparisons are never exact. Just as no two people in everyday life are created exactly equal, the same logic applies to athletes. While watching one prospect may remind you of a former great from years past, it is a fools errand to take those equivalencies to extremes. Fisher was keen to point out one area where the legendary McNair differs from the outspoken Ward. "(McNair) was quiet," Fisher said. "He wasn't really outspoken. He wasn't that guy that would step in and call a team meeting or grab the team in the locker room, stuff like that. He was more of that quiet leader and people really respected. So, you know, when, when sometimes guys are going to yell and they're going to, you know, they're going to, you know, talk, talk trash and things like that. Steve spoke, spoke softly. Advertisement "And when he spoke, people bent over and listened to what he had to say.' View the original article to see embedded media. Featured Image: USA TODAY Sports This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
23-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ex-NFL executive doubles down on Cam Ward-Patrick Mahomes comparison
Leading up to and after the NFL draft, experts have debated who the Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward shares similarities with. While there are many comparisons out there, one sparks more debate than the others: comparing him to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Former NFL executive turned analyst has been one of the leading proponents of this comparison and continues to voice his opinion. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick is a staunch believer in Ward and has continually spoken about him turning the Titans franchise around in much the same manner that Mahomes has done with the Chiefs. Riddick recently joined 104.5 The Zone's The Buck Reising Show and broke down what he sees in Ward. 'Yeah, no, I think from a stylistic standpoint, Cam has a lot of things that look very similar to the way Patrick likes to play the game," said Riddick. "Patrick always described it as being like he's playing baseball, like he's just throwing the ball at first base. And that's why his feet sometimes are parallel. The ball sometimes comes out sidearm, three-quarter sidearm. It's a little unorthodox as far as how quarterback traditionally was played. Well, Cam Ward does the same thing. He can do the same types of things. He has very similar arm horsepower to Patrick. He just does. I've seen it up close in person, both of them, so I know. So I'm speaking from experience.' Riddick is uniquely qualified to make this comparison, having spent seven years in the league as a player with multiple organizations after being a ninth-round draft choice by the San Francisco 49ers, and following that with another 13 years in front offices with the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles, rising from the scouting department to director of player personnel. After his years in the NFL, he transitioned into media, working with ESPN as a college and pro football analyst. But his role as a talent evaluator heading into the draft allowed him to dissect players like Ward and Mahomes and recognize the similarities in their games. While the comparison to Mahomes may be a bit premature, there are many reasons why it has some merit, and Riddick continued to break them down. 'He's exactly what Tennessee needs," Riddick said. "That's the kind of personality in that position that Tennessee needs. That's the kind of skill set that Tennessee needs to take that offense and really level it up. He comes from a great family, super supportive people, super nice people, and he is just uniquely zeroed in on trying to be the best damn quarterback he can be. And that's it. That's all he cares about." "Why wouldn't everybody in Tennessee go and put their arms around him and go, just lead us, man. We're going to ride your coattails. That's exactly what you want. And he's built for it. He's just simply built for it. I'm as convicted on this young man in terms of his makeup as any, whether it was Jayden Daniels last year or CJ Stroud the year before. I'm very much so Team Cam Ward.' Ward has a long way to go before he can be held in the same regard as Mahomes, but he does have some of the characteristics needed to match that comparison. One of the hardest workers so far through OTAs, his confidence and leadership qualities have been raved about throughout the offseason. Next stop: training camp.
