Titans’ Calvin Ridley says Cam Ward has that ‘f— it’ mentality that quarterbacks need

No. 1 overall pick quarterback Cam Ward quickly made a good impression on his new Tennessee Titans teammates. In fact, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the team literally had to kick Ward out of coaches’ offices because he spent too much time there.

“From Day 1 I met him, I knew he was going to be in the book, here, trying to get on top of it early,” Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley told reporters on Tuesday, via ESPN. 

While Ward’s work ethic is been on full display, he also brings a different kind of demeanor to the table. Ridley commented on how relaxed and calm his new rookie quarterback is, and he believes that’s a quality you need to possess in order to be a good quarterback. 

“You need that at the quarterback position,” Ridley said. “You can’t just be an over-thinker, jittery guy. You just gotta kinda be ok with f—–g up, doing good. You’ve just got to have that ‘f— it’ mentality. He’s kind of got that.”

Ward’s ability to remain calm under pressure and quickly turn the page on a bad play was evident during his record-breaking season at the University of Miami in 2024. Ward set the program single-season record with 39 passing touchdowns, and became the first ACC player to ever lead the FBS in passing touchdowns. His 4,313 passing yards also set a program record, and ranked No. 2 in the FBS behind Kyle McCord of Syracuse.

Ward’s mentality was likely forged during his fascinating journey from zero-star recruit to No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. Ward played two seasons at Incarnate Ward and two seasons at Washington State before taking his talents to “The U,” and threw a whopping 158 touchdowns during his five collegiate seasons, which set a D-I record for most career passing touchdowns in the FCS/FBS combined.

The Titans are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback, and they hope they found one that can fast-track this rebuild.