The Tennessee Titans are now one of the last three winless teams in the league after losing to divisional rival the Houston Texans, 3-26, in Week 5.
The Titans had high hopes after bringing in Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll to Nashville to help develop quarterback Cam Ward.
But after the Week 5 loss, questions are starting to be raised about the former number one overall pick.
Saleh spoke to the media and made a claim after the quarterback had one of his worst games of the season.
Saleh Makes Cam Ward Claim After Texans Loss
Cam Ward had his best game of the 2026 season in the Week 4 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, throwing for 222 yards and a touchdown on 20 completions.
The quarterback couldn’t replicate his performance in the loss to Houston, completing 23 passes for 170 yards and an interception.
After Ward’s struggles in Week 5, head coach Robert Saleh spoke to the media on Monday and said that the 24-year-old quarterback took “a step back.”
“Was yesterday a step back? Sure,” Saleh said, via the Titans. “Was it all Cam? It’s not. It’s an 11-man game in terms of offensive football, and even defensively. … It was a step back as an entire offense, not just Cam.”
While Cam hasn’t produced high numbers every week, he’s shown signs that he can excel at the NFL level.
Ward has the same number of pass touchdowns and interceptions (3) and has thrown for more than 200 yards once this season in a Titans squad that is in a rebuild phase.
The QB was sacked four times on Sunday, the most he has taken in a single game this season and brought down 10 times on the year.
“Yesterday was a step back, 100 percent. It was shitty, for a lack of a better word,” the HC said later in the presser. “We got our asses kicked, especially up front. But will a step back discourage us from taking two steps forward? No.”
With 12 more games left in the season, Saleh made a clear answer on who will be behind the center heading forward.
Saleh Sticking with Ward At QB
The Tennessee Titans have the league’s worst-scoring offense, averaging 11.6 points per game.
After the offensive woes that started the Robert Saleh era (and with Brian Daboll at offensive coordinator), the head coach made it clear that Cam Ward will remain at center for the foreseeable future.
“Cam’s our starting quarterback,” Saleh said. “We’re going to give him every opportunity to be successful this year. And we’re going to continue working with him, grinding with him, and trying to help him get better.”
The former Miami Hurricane is young and still has plenty of opportunity to adapt to the NFL level.
With his head coach’s confidence behind him, Cam Ward could help turn the Titans’ season around in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Robert Saleh Makes Cam Ward Statement After Struggles In Week 5 Loss