The Two Quarterback Race That Never Was ended Thursday with the Titans handing the keys to their future over to Cam Ward.
Ward was selected with the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, when the Titans decided to gamble on finding a franchise quarterback instead of playing it safe and choosing either one of two consensus “can’t-miss” prospects — receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter or edge rusher Abdul Carter.
When the Titans clinched the No. 1 pick on the final day of the regular season, then-general manager Ran Carthon was supposed to face a difficult choice between Ward and Shedeur Sanders as the top quarterback.
But, as the offseason progressed and Carthon was replaced by former Chiefs executive Mike Borgonzi, it became clear that the NFL was not gearing up for another Peyton Manning-Ryan Leaf, Andrew Luck-Robert Griffin III or Bryce Young-C.J. Stroud debate at the top.
Ward, a zero-star recruit out of high school who starred at Incarnate Word and Washington State for two seasons apiece before rising to another level in his one season at Miami, pulled away from Sanders and others in what widely was regarded as an underwhelming quarterback class by scouts.
Lauded for the zip he puts on balls thrown into tight windows, his aggressive mindset to push the ball downfield and his lower-body strength to shrug off sacks just long enough to extend plays, Ward is toolsy.
But his tape shows some inexplicable decisions that suggest he doesn’t know when to stop playing superhero and manage the path to victory.
“There are some things he’s going to do five times a game that only a handful of people on Earth can do, and that’s why he’s the best quarterback in this year’s class,” one NFL offensive coach told The Post. “There is going to be a lot of growth. There are going to be some (hard) days. But I’m betting on some things you can’t coach.”
Sanders’ landing spot was expected to become the primary storyline of the first round. Some teams reportedly felt that he was closer as a prospect to Jaxson Dart — maybe even behind Dart in a three-quarterback first round — than he was to the top.
Ward is the first No. 1 overall pick ever made by the Titans, though their predecessors (Houston Oilers) kicked off the 1973 and 1978 drafts.
He is expected to sign a four-year, $43 million contract under the NFL’s rookie wage scale.
“Cam’s confident,” president of operations Chad Brinker said before the pick was made. “I wouldn’t say he’s cocky. There’s a fine line between the two and he carries himself the right way. I just appreciate the way he approaches the game, his competitiveness, the way he plays the game with a quiet mind, I think that’s been impressive.”
The Titans turned down trade offers for the No. 1 pick, Borgonzi said.
The Giants reportedly were the most aggressive.
It was only two years ago that the Titans selected Will Levis — who surprisingly fell out of a first round that saw Young, Stroud and Anthony Richardson selected with top-four picks — with the No. 33 overall pick.
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But Levis is 5-16 as a starter and was benched during his second season for since-departed journeyman Mason Rudolph.
By sitting out the top of the free-agent quarterback market while settling for adding backups Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle, the Titans essentially tipped their cap on their plans for Ward to be the savior.
“Pretty elite team in my opinion,” an optimistic Ward told reporters at the draft on Wednesday about joining a 3-14 roster. “They don’t get enough credit on paper for what they really are. If I’m there, I know it’ll turn out good.”
Ward completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns against just seven interceptions last season.
“There’s a ruggedness to the way Cam Ward plays that really reminds me of Josh Allen,” former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said recently on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “In Tennessee, they may be getting a star.”
Borgonzi scouted for the Chiefs when they picked left tackle Eric Fisher at No. 1 in 2013 rather than forcing a quarterback in a class that produced second-rounder Geno Smith as its headliner.
He also was in Kansas City when there was a strong franchise conviction in trading up to draft Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 in 2017 despite Alex Smith coming off of a Pro Bowl season.
And he decided Ward was worth the risk.
