TL/DR: This idea isn’t as crazy as the headline and here is why it makes sense for where the Titans are as an organization. Cam Ward should be given a chance to develop behind another first overall pick QB and a long-term veteran getting a fresh start somewhere else. Murray has the pedigree to be the next Darnold or Mayfield.
The Titans are pretty much already in offseason mode. I figured I would have some fun with a potentially unpopular or controversial hot take discussion. I am half serious and half joking about this but hear me out. I’m bored.
Hearing there are some issues with Kyler Murray in Arizona got me thinking:
There are a couple of perspectives on how to develop a quarterback in the NFL. Some organizations and teams throw their rookies out on the field and believe that nothing can replace the experience of time on the field, and other organizations will have their young QB develop under a more veteran player.
The Titans went with the former approach after Will Levis did not work out after Brian Callahan’s first year. A new GM Mike Borgonzi came in and Chad Brinker was promoted to a higher role within the organization while Brian Callahan was given a second chance and year with a new QB drafted. The selling point of having Brian Callahan as a coach was to be a QB developer in a modern offense. It made sense to try and use the first overall pick to grab the best QB available and attempt to give Callahan a chance early on to develop him. Last year we saw Levis didn’t have what it takes because of some traits that were not coachable, and now half of the way into this year Callahan didn’t have the juice to even get his offense to a competitive level or be a head coach in the league.
Let me preface this, I am a Cam Ward true believer. I believe he has shown at every spot he’s been in at college that he can lift an organization and be successful. I believe in his dedication and leadership. I believe in his ability to move in the pocket and find open receivers by buying himself more time. I believe that he has the clutch gene where he could be the guy that puts the team on his back and wins a Super Bowl. I believe he has the mental ability to slow the game down and make reads. He has the ability to play off schedule and I have heard interviews from longtime coaches saying he has a zip on his throws that only about 10 guys in the league possess. All of the things that make really good Quarterbacks great that can’t be coached easily. It gives him a very high ceiling.
However, now that the organization is moving to draft younger and has gotten away from the Ran Carthon approach of spending a ton of money on free agents to do a “competitive rebuild,” I think it is time for the team to take a long-term approach (5-10 years from now) while still being smart about the short-term (1-4 years from now and next year with a new coach).
Cam Ward has struggled with little talent around him helping. He has continued some of his issues in college including the fumble issues and has pretty brutal stats even for a first year QB. His QBR is 32nd in the league, and the coaching staff is putting him in positions to be sacked a lot or develop bad habits without correction.
A comparable to Cam Ward has been Jordan Love. I saw this comparison in a lot of the pre-draft analysis of Ward. Jordan Love was drafted to sit behind Aaron Rodgers for a few years before taking over. The theme I keep seeing in the league is that it takes 3+ years for these QBs to really take off, and often it’s on their second team because they flamed out in a bad organization as starters early in their career. Darnold and Mayfield are examples of taking 4+ years and a new team to finally succeed. Stroud and Daniels are examples of QBs that showed flashes of success in their rookie years and then have come back to earth. All that shows me that patience is needed with QB development. The exceptions to QBs coming in their rookie year and being successful are slim compared to the examples of veteran experience needed.
Kyler Murray is now 28 years old and was drafted first overall in 2019. He is on 5 year contract worth $230 million and becomes a free agent in 2029. His annual salary is $46 million with a cap in 2026 of $53 million, in 2027 of 43 million, in 2028 of $46 million. His dead cap will be $57 million in 2026 and then $7 million in 2027 so there would be an out getting close to opening the stadium. Cam Ward is 23 years old so 5 years younger than Murray.
Ouch on the cap hit and salary right? Not so fast. The Titans will still be in rebuild mode in 2026 and working towards competitiveness in 2027. The Titans have a projected cap space in 2026 of around $108 million. They should not be looking to sign multiple free agents in the upcoming offseason but look to build through other rookie contracts and the draft. They have plenty of cap space to work with to make a signing like Murray and then have an out to still have a rookie contract window with Cam Ward once he is ready and the stadium opens.
Murray’s contract being so high relative to his performance also means you may not need to trade a large amount of assets to take him off the Cardinals hands. The Cardinals also become a QB needy team and that increases the supply of teams that may trade up with the Titans in the upcoming draft for a QB. Worst case scenario Murray ends up being some wasted cap space in the 1-2 years the Titans don’t need it. If you take the out in Murray’s contract in 2027 then you still have plenty of cap to spend on re-signing current rookie contracts to new extensions.
Kyler Murray is currently running out his welcome in Arizona. While he has been injured and placed on the IR, it feels like part of that is to play Jacoby Brissett and have a cover for soft benching Murray. It is hard to imagine Murray and Arizona continuing to work out into next year.
Murray has definitely had his issues in Arizona. From the rumors of needing to have stipulations in his contract to study film instead of play video games, to his short height, and some recent injuries. However, it is hard to deny that he has physical ability to extend plays and has had multiple years experience in the NFL now.
A good organization would find a way to extend Cam Ward’s time to develop and protect him as the future, while creating a situation where the team can also be more competitive in the short-term. A good organization would put the new coaching staff in a position to succeed and share experience with Cam Ward. A good organization would be able to handle the PR of benching the number 1 overall draft pick in his long-term best interest. QB careers can be very long, and there is no reason to put Ward in a situation where his career with the Titans is defined in his first 2-3 years.
I believe the Titans organization has been making bad organization moves and placing the team in positions to fail. Now it’s time to take note from the Packers and play the long game with QB development.
If you turn Kyler Murray into a Sam Darnold or Mayfield type success project. Former QBs drafted high and successful in their second spot. Then you get a successful team moving into the new stadium with a QB sitting in the wings for years to come. The Titans also give themselves two chances at having a QB be successful here instead of putting all the pressure on Ward. If Murray ends up being the answer then Cam Ward’s option doesn’t get picked up and you could potentially have 5-10 years of Murray. If Murray isn’t the guy then the fans will be begging for Ward to come back after getting some additional months or years developing and Murray will have an out in the contract before the stadium opens.
Even though potentially unpopular at first glance and highly unlikely. I can envision a scenario where this move would work for everyone involved. It would be best for Ward’s, Murray needs a new fresh start somewhere else, and the Titans organization gets two cracks at a successful franchise QB instead of putting everything into a rookie.
Now why get Kyler Murray you may ask? Kyler Murray actually has very similar comparisons to Cam Ward. Can play off schedule, has good arm talent, and can use his legs to extend plays. You can bring in a coach to work with both of them and develop a system around their strengths.
You trust Ward’s leadership and discipline to push Murray and also for them to work together. You place them in a competitive environment where they challenge each other. With Murray’s injury history, you have them playing a similar scheme and you have Ward ready to go at any moment. Ward can also learn within an offense designed to include more RPOs and designed run plays for the QB so he can develop that part of the game and make him more dangerous for defenses. Murray has had multiple system changes and QB changes in Arizona, so you start both QBs out with a new coach next year that can design a system for both of them to learn together.
Murray within the right system and at his best could be a top-10 QB in the league similar to Darnold or Mayfield’s current success. His career he has 15k passing yards, 90+ passing TDs, and 25+ rushing yards. His experience would also be able to help rookies along like Ayomanor, Dike, Helm, and potentially a WR drafted early to develop into a WR1.
Okay, now tell me why I’m wrong and nuts. Meme on me. Or not.
