At least that’s the verdict from the NFL’s super-hyped schedule reveal, which didn’t include a single game for the 2025 season on a Sunday night, Monday night or Thursday night featuring the league’s No. 1 pick overall and his rebuilding Tennessee Titans.
Talk about disrespect. Ward, the former Miami Hurricanes quarterback who catapulted to the top of the NFL draft in a remarkable rags-to-riches rise, is pegged to begin his NFL journey 0-for-prime-time.
Shoot, the Titans even had a prime-time game last season when, gulp, Will Levis and Mason Rudolph, took turns at quarterback.
And now they’ve got this electric passer in Ward not getting a single prime-time game?
Go figure.
Of course, given the NFL’s flexible scheduling option, it’s still possible that we could see Ward in a national showcase game under the lights. That would largely be a case of the Titans – who finished 3-14 last season and picked No. 1 for mighty good reason – exceeding expectations during Ward’s NFL initiation.
Good luck with that, kid.
Ward will debut at Denver, which brings a nasty defense and one of the prized rookie quarterbacks from last year’s class, Bo Nix.
Then comes the unveiling before a home crowd at Nissan Stadium in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams, the team that came closest to knocking off the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs in January.
Two weeks, two of last season’s playoff teams. The stuff about the Titans having one of the NFL’s “easiest” schedules, based on their opponents’ 2024 records, is so circumstantial. I mean, three of the four teams in the AFC South had losing records in 2024 with the Titans bringing up the rear in a division that still has the Houston Texans as favorites.
There’s a test, too, with three straight road games (Weeks 4-6) followed by a matchup on Oct. 19 against the New England Patriots, coached by a fellow, Mike Vrabel, who might have a point to make against the team he used to coach.
Other highlights include two matchups against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Travis Hunter in Week 13 and Week 18, a road finale that is TBD for date and time. In Week 16, Patrick Mahomes comes to town. (Read: Opportunity for a rookie quarterback to take notes.) And circle a Week 14 matchup at Cleveland: Ward vs. Shedeur Sanders?
We’ll see.
Never mind the buzz attached to Ward in the ramp-up to the draft, where he was widely considered the best quarterback in a purportedly marginal class. It led to a big prime-time moment on the stage with Commissioner Roger Goodell to christen the draft in Green Bay.
But that was then already. Maybe the NFL schedule-makers just didn’t get the memo.
As it stands now, the Titans have 11 of their 17 games slotted for noon CT kickoffs on Sundays, which is about as low of a bar as it gets for marquee value.
How rare is this?
Well, the last time a quarterback was chosen No. 1 overall and didn’t have a prime-time showcase game came in 2011 with Cam Newton.
Maybe that’s it. It’s a Cam thing.
Between 2011 Cam and 2025 Cam, nine quarterbacks were taken No. 1 overall. And all nine had at least one prime-time appearance.
And this includes Baker Mayfield, who started the 2018 season on the bench for the Cleveland Browns … but in Week 3 replaced an injured Tyrod Taylor and passed for 201 yards, plus caught a pass to spice a victory against the Jets on ‘Thursday Night Football.’
Sure, you can expect only so much from a rookie quarterback cutting his teeth with a rebuilding team. And it can be so rough. Caleb Williams absorbed 68 sacks and went 5-12 (two prime-time games) for the Chicago Bears last season. The year before, Bryce Young suffered 62 sacks with a Carolina Panthers squad that finished 2-15. In 2021, Trevor Lawrence (17 picks) went 3-14 with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
So, no, there’s not a lot of incentive for the league and networks (and streaming services) to put the growing pains of high-profile rookie quarterbacks in the prime-time windows – even as good as last year’s rookie QB crop (hello, Jayden Daniels) turned out to be – when there are so many star-powered alternatives.
In other words, there’s good reason that five quarterbacks – Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow – are slated for a combined 27 prime-time games.
Perhaps the day is coming when Ward will be positioned on such an elite level. The Titans are certainly banking on that. He represents some major hope for second-year coach Brian Callahan and a franchise that is 16-35 in three seasons since it last made the playoffs and won a division title in 2021. But it’s a process. It includes building the supporting cast and certainly involves the impressive prospect flowing on the NFL learning curve.
Maybe it’s a matter of time before Ward forces himself – and his team – into prime-time exposure. The resume speaks. Ward set an NCAA Division I record by firing 156 touchdown passes while playing for three schools. On top of the rocket arm, so many rave about his leadership, grit, football IQ and other intangibles. He should be something to watch.
Want a peek at how he’s progressing on the next level?
Here’s the advice: Get up early.
Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell