The first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. Quarterback Cam Ward has struggled with the transition from college to pro football, especially as his fellow rookie, Shedeur Sanders, has rapidly improved. Jason Whitlock couldn’t resist pointing it out.
This Sunday, Ward’s Titans visited the Cleveland Browns with Shedeur Sanders leading the offense. Although Tennessee came away with a 31-29 victory, Ward’s numbers were very underwhelming for a first overall draft pick.
Ward completed 14 of 28 passes for 117 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. In contrast, Sanders completed 23 of 42 passes for 364 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
With this scenario, the comparison between the two rookies was inevitable. Among the first to touch on the sore spot was Whitlock, who didn’t mince words in his criticism of Ward.
Whitlock’s scathing assessment of Ward
After the game played at Huntington Bank Field, Whitlock took to X (formerly Twitter) to question Ward’s abilities. “Cam Ward is not an NFL QB,” the analyst asserted.
Looking at the numbers, Whitlock considered Sanders’ performance far superior, saying, “Shedeur put on a show. Cam Ward embarrassed himself.”
It wasn’t just the quarterbacks; the overall statistics clearly favored Cleveland, which accumulated 412 total yards compared to Tennessee’s 292.
The difference was made by the ground game. Titans running back Tony Pollard contributed 161 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Shedeur was the Browns’ leading rusher with 29 yards and a touchdown on three carries.
Ward and Sanders had parallel college careers
Ward had a distinguished NCAA career. First at Incarnate Word, then at Washington State, and finally at Miami. By the end of his eligibility, he had accumulated 18,137 yards, 158 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions.
Sanders wasn’t far behind. First with Jackson State and then with Colorado, Shedeur amassed 14,327 yards, 134 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions.
Although off-field issues hampered Shedeur’s path to the draft, ultimately resulting in a fifth-round selection, all indications suggest his path in the NFL will be less complicated than Ward’s.
Read the full article here
