Cam Ward completed 8 of 12 passes for 69 yards in three series as the Tennessee Titans erased an early 16-3 deficit to beat the Seattle Seahawks 19-16 in preseason action.
Cam Ward took another step forward in his second NFL preseason, completing 8 of 12 passes for 69 yards in three series as the Tennessee Titans stormed back to beat the Seattle Seahawks 19-16 on Sunday night at Nissan Stadium. The nationally televised win moved the Titans to 2-0 in the preseason and gave Ward a far steadier stat line than his debut a week earlier. The former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick remains the centerpiece of Tennessee's rebuild, and his progress is the story to watch as the regular season nears.
Ward played the first three series and showed noticeably better rhythm than he did in the preseason opener at San Francisco, where he finished 5 of 12 for 57 yards in a 19-13 Titans win. On Sunday he was efficient and decisive, spreading the ball around before Mitchell Trubisky replaced him in the second quarter with the team trailing 16-3.
The outing capped a strong week of work, including a promising joint practice against Seattle on Friday at Vanderbilt Health Football Center. Head coach Robert Saleh, hired in January as the 22nd coach in franchise history, said Ward has had a great camp overall, noting that every player goes through peaks and valleys but that Ward has more often than not been doing a hell of a job.
Ward entered the night coming off a preseason opener in which he marched the starting offense 95 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession, a drive finished off by running back Tony Pollard. The follow-up performance against a Super Bowl-caliber defense was the kind of steady showing Tennessee wants to see as its young quarterback builds trust with a new-look receiving corps.
Seattle's starters jumped on Tennessee early. Quarterback Drew Lock hit tight end Elijah Arroyo for a touchdown on the game's seventh play to make it 7-0, and a 61-yard touchdown run by Jacardia Wright stretched the lead to 13-3. A 45-yard field goal by Jason Myers pushed the Seahawks ahead 16-3 at the 1:20 mark of the first quarter.
The Titans clawed back on the leg of kicker Joey Slye, who went a perfect 4 for 4 on field goals from 55, 33, 40 and 43 yards. A rookie interception by linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. set up one scoring drive, and running back D'Ernest Johnson powered in from two yards out with 5:45 remaining to give Tennessee its first lead. Linebacker Derrick Canteen sealed the win with an interception on Seattle's final possession.
Quarterback Will Levis started the second half and directed the game-winning 13-play, 64-yard drive, with Hendon Hooker finishing the game behind center. The comeback showed the kind of depth Tennessee has built under Saleh, even as the starters work through early-game inconsistencies.
Beating the reigning Super Bowl LX champions is a useful measuring stick, even in August. Seattle knocked off the New England Patriots in February to win its second title, and the Seahawks arrived in Nashville with a top-ranked scoring defense from last season. The Titans' 2-0 preseason mark, built against the 49ers and Seahawks, offers real evidence the roster is trending the right way.
The game also showcased Tennessee's 2026 rookie class, headlined by first-round picks Carnell Tate and Keldric Faulk, both of whom debuted in the opener at San Francisco. Ward's connection with Tate, one of Tennessee's marquee new targets, is one of the most watched storylines of camp.
For Ward, the stakes are simple: keep stacking efficient practices and game reps before the real games begin. He has the arm talent that made him the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the preseason has been about marrying that talent with consistent mechanics and decision-making.
Tennessee wraps up the preseason Saturday, Aug. 29, against the Chicago Bears at Nissan Stadium, and the regular season opens at home Sept. 13 against the New York Jets. The Bears finale should give Ward and the starting offense one more chance to sharpen their timing before the games count.
The biggest question between now and kickoff is whether the starters can clean up the slow starts that put the team in a 16-3 hole against Seattle. If Ward's efficiency carries into the finale and the first-team offense finds its footing early, Tennessee will enter September with genuine momentum and one of the more intriguing young quarterbacks in the league under center.
Cam Ward completed 8 of 12 passes for 69 yards in three series as the Tennessee Titans erased an early 16-3 deficit to beat the Seattle Seahawks 19-16 in preseason action.
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