Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward had plenty to prove in his first NFL season, and teammate Jeffrey Simmons wasn’t shy about keeping him in check-at least in jest.
Speaking with NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Simmons took a humorous jab at Ward‘s physique.
“Y’all ever seen Cam Ward‘s body?” he asked. “I’m like, ‘Bro, you got the worst body as a quarterback. Like your body look worse than mine.'”
The playful trash talk between the two started on Day 1 of training camp, Simmons explained. Ward fired back, insisting Simmons wouldn’t be able to sack him, prompting the defensive star to respond, “Cam, me coming down the B-gap at you, you’re not going to be able to just juke me like you’d be doing these D-ends.”
Rookie highlights despite ribbing
While Simmons had fun with Ward‘s physique, he was quick to praise the young quarterback’s progress over the season.
Simmons singled out Ward‘s accuracy on deep throws and his ability to complete difficult passes across his body without getting intercepted-something Simmons says happened “maybe four or five times in the season.”
Ward also managed to connect with Simmons on a touchdown in a Week 15 game against the 49ers, showing they could work well together despite the ribbing.
Ward‘s rookie season numbers were solid for a first-year starter. He completed 323 of 540 passes for 3,169 yards, with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
He added 159 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 39 carries. Ward became the first rookie in franchise history to surpass 3,000 passing yards in a single season and only the seventh quarterback to start all 17 games since the Titans relocated to Tennessee in 1997.
Despite a slow start, with the Titans scoring more than 24 points only once in the first 13 games, Ward helped the team breach that mark in four of the last five contests.
Simmons‘ teasing may continue, but it’s clear the rookie QB earned his teammate’s respect.
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