Thanks to an electric 2024 campaign which saw Miami’s Cam Ward lead the FBS in passing touchdowns, the 22-year-old, West Columbia native has officially inked a $48,839,586 million contract with the Tennessee Titans. Now sporting a yearly salary of more than $12 million, Ward has officially surpassed the likes of Caleb Williams and Bryce Young to become the highest paid rookie quarterback in the league today.
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After Young managed to secure a $37,955,074 contract with the Carolina Panthers following his first overall selection in 2023, he was outdone by the Chicago Bears and Williams’ $39,486,058 million deal. Thanks in part to a recent 26% increase in rookie signing bonuses, Ward’s historic deal sets an expensive tone moving forward.
As far as Tennessee is concerned, they’ll likely be happy if they can just avoid the early-career scares that both the Panthers and Bears have had to endure with their first-overall QBs. An abysmal start to his pro-career eventually led to the Panthers temporarily benching Young.
While he’s seemingly rebounded to some degree, the Alabama product still sports a starting record of 6-22 with Carolina. Suffice to say, the front office is feeling every one of those $37 million dollars right now.
In the case of Chicago, there’s a bit more room for optimism, albeit not very much. Coming into the league, many fans and analysts alike were suggesting that Williams was inheriting one of the best situations of any rookie quarterback in NFL history.
His 3,541 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns as a rookie may have been enough to break Chicago’s franchise records, but it certainly wasn’t enough to win over the masses.
Despite having a plethora of receiving options, in addition to a defense that was sixth overall in the league in terms of yards allowed, Williams’ routinely struggled throughout a season that proved to be disastrous enough for Chicago to relieve Matt Eberflus of his head coaching duties halfway through the year.
A 5-12 record suggests that there remains a bit more work to be done than perhaps the Bears had initially hoped for, nevertheless, their newfound receiver in Luther Burden III should ensure that Williams has everything he needs to thrive in year two. Given the growing concerns surrounding both of these franchises and their respective QB1’s, the Titans are likely hoping for some immediate flashes from Ward this season.
The recent successes of players like C.J. Stroud and Jayden Daniels are incredibly rare, as struggling rookie quarterbacks tend to be the norm. That being said, Ward certainly doesn’t inherit the best of situations in Tennessee either.
His WR1 will likely be a 30-year-old journeyman in Calvin Ridley, while his defense allowed the third most points of any team in the league last year. For all the arm talent and rushing ability that he brings, there’s only so much that Ward can likely prove to be capable of in 2025.
He is more than capable of becoming the true pillar of the Titans’ franchise, but he’s going to have to buy himself sometime and until adequate help can arrive.
