Cam Ward isn’t letting himself off the hook for how he has played amid the Tennessee Titans’ 1-4 start this season.

The Athletic’s Michael Silver noted in a recent sit-down with Ward that the rookie quarterback gave himself an “F” grade through the first five games of his career.

This comment comes in the aftermath of Tennessee’s first win of the season in Week 5, though the Arizona Cardinals played a large role in that victory with two of the most absurd fourth-quarter turnovers anyone will ever see.

Ward hasn’t been shy about being critical of both himself and the Titans so far this season. He said bluntly “we ass” after their 26-0 shutout loss to the Houston Texans in Week 4.

The Titans weren’t necessarily set up to contend in the AFC this season. They were coming off a 3-14 record in 2024 and didn’t make any major free-agent additions.

Selecting Ward with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft was the biggest reason for optimism in Tennessee. The 23-year-old is still a source of hope despite his initial struggles, but he also hasn’t been set up to succeed based on the talent around him.

Ward has thrown for 879 yards with two touchdowns, three interceptions and a 51.3 completion percentage. He has been sacked a league-high 19 times in five games.

As Ward gains more experience, he should continue to get better. The next step will be for the Titans to fill out the talent around him to make life easier on their young quarterback going forward.