Former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward is poised to be one of the stars of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ahead of the NFL combine, the quarterback wants to send a message to the whole leage: any team that passes on him will regret it.
Cam Ward’s warning to NFL teams
Ward, who is projected as a top-10 pick, addressed critics questioning his decision to sit out the second half of Miami’s Pop-Tarts Bowl loss to Iowa State.
While some scouts have raised concerns about his commitment, the 2023 Davey O’Brien Award winner isn’t interested in defending himself.
“OK, you’re either going to draft me or you’re not,”Ward told The Associated Press.
“If you don’t draft me, that’s your fault. You’ve got to remember you’re the same team that’s got to play me for the rest of my career, and I’ll remember that.”
Ward, who broke the NCAA Division I record for career touchdown passes in the first half of the bowl game, insists his decision to sit was planned.
“I just think we all got what we needed out of it,” he explained.
“They seen things that they think they need to work on… and they also knew, you know, what I had on the line.”
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal has publicly supported Ward, calling the backlash against his star quarterback “a false narrative.”
Ward echoed that sentiment, saying the loss shaped the public’s reaction.
“If I could do it again, I’d do it the same way,” he said.
“If we had won the game, they wouldn’t have said nothing. That’s usually how it goes. You just got to take it on the chin and keep pushing.”
Despite the scrutiny, Ward’s resume speaks for itself.
Across three programs-Incarnate Word, Washington State, and Miami-he set multiple records, including 158 career touchdown passes and over 18,000 total passing yards.
His 2024 season with Miami cemented him as a top prospect, throwing for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns with a 67.2% completion rate.
Cam Ward could land with Tennessee
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah ranks Ward as the No. 10 overall prospect and the top quarterback in the draft, ahead of Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
With quarterback-needy teams like the Tennessee Titans possibly looking to trade up, Ward could be among the first names called in April.
Looking to the future, Ward draws motivation from the immediate success of quarterbacks like Jayden Daniels.
“To see him succeed is motivating for not only myself but all of the other quarterbacks,”Ward said.
As the draft approaches, Ward has yet to decide whether he will throw at the NFL Combine but confirmed he will participate in Miami’s Pro Day.
Regardless of what teams think about his bowl game decision, Ward is confident in his future-and he won’t forget those who pass on him.
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