Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan was serving as offensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals when the Bengals made quarterback Joe Burrow the primary general choose of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Callahan as soon as once more finds himself teaching a rookie signal-caller after the Titans grabbed Cam Ward with the best choice of this yr’s player-selection course of. Throughout a current chat with Albert Breer of Sports activities Illustrated, Callahan recommended that Ward might comply with in Burrow’s footsteps en path to turning into an elite participant on the sport’s most necessary place.
“It was fascinating having the expertise with Joe, as a result of Joe, whereas he was definitely a prodigy, there have been nonetheless issues he was studying,” Callahan stated about Burrow’s rookie marketing campaign. “However he was related in that it didn’t take him lengthy to study it, and he might apply and course of it actually quick. And Cam is identical means. Individuals ask on a regular basis, the comparability — the place they’re most related is their potential to take the data, perceive it, course of it after which apply it with out having to undergo the ringer. They’ll simply do it.”
Burrow largely has been nearly as good as marketed, because the 28-year-old has one Tremendous Bowl look on his profession resume. Pro Football Reference reveals that he ended the 2024 common season main the NFL with 4,918 passing yards, a median of 289.3 passing yards per sport, 43 touchdowns by means of the air, 460 completions and 652 move makes an attempt. He in the end finished fourth in MVP voting for the marketing campaign.
As for Ward, previous stories famous how he started holding early morning conferences with rookie skill-position gamers following the membership’s summer time break. Ward indicated these periods are serving to him study a brand new offense “quicker” as he prepares to begin Tennessee’s regular-season opener on the Denver Broncos on Sept. 7.
“It helps me with the whole lot,” Ward informed Breer about placing in additional work to construct up chemistry along with his teammates. “Like, simply me figuring out the place I would like the receivers. As a result of I’ll by no means coach a receiver on how they run a route — so long as they get open, I don’t care. However it’s about being in a sure spot after I want you to be there, only for timing functions. …It builds relationships, as properly. My place and the receiver place, it’s gotta be one of the chemistry-driven relationships within the facility.”
As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook continued to listing Las Vegas Raiders operating again Ashton Jeanty because the betting favourite at +275 odds to say the Offensive Rookie of the Yr Award over Ward (+350 odds). It is going to be fascinating to see how these odds shift after Ward faces what’s, on paper, an intimidating Denver protection.
Whereas Burrow suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee in November of his rookie season, he’s now a two-time NFL Comeback Participant of the Yr Award winner.
