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Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward is out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a right shoulder injury. Ward suffered the injury after diving into the end zone for a rushing touchdown on Tennessee's first offensive drive.

Fewer than five minutes into the game, Ward kept the ball on a designed run and dove for the goal line. He came down on his right shoulder, and as he did, Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun landed on top of him with a lot of force.

Ward was slow to get up, and when he returned to the sideline, he entered the injury tent. After exiting, he walked back to the locker room. The Titans quickly labeled Ward as questionable before ruling him out.

The injury ends Ward's bid to play every offensive snap in his rookie campaign. He was the only quarterback with that distinction coming into the day.

Before exiting the game, Ward helped Tennessee get off to a fast start. He completed all three of his passes for 52 yards and rushed for 11 yards and the aforementioned touchdown.

Brandon Allen entered the game in relief of Ward, and he will have the reins the rest of the way. Because fo Ward's durability and availability, Allen didn't see any action in the first 17 weeks of the season. A sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Allen completed 17 of 30 pass attempts for 56 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions as a backup with the San Francisco 49ers last season.

Ward's late-season surge comes to an abrupt end

The No. 1 overall pick in 2025, Ward's rookie season got off to a discouraging start. Between rookie mistakes, a shaky offensive line and an unimpressive wide receiver room, Ward struggled to gain traction at the NFL level.

However, around a month ago, something seemed to click. He started playing more consistently, and the Titans started finding the end zone with a little more frequency. Dating back to the Titans' Week 14 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Ward showed legitimate signs of progress.

Over that four-game stretch, Ward completed 59.2% of his passes for eight touchdowns and just one interception while averaging 191.5 yards per game. Ward also became the first Titans quarterback to throw at least two touchdown passes in four consecutive weeks since Ryan Tannehill accomplished that feat in 2020.

In the 12 games prior to that run, Ward struggled, especially when it came to protecting the football. Over that span, Ward tossed seven interceptions to six interceptions, which came in consecutive games. He also fumbled the ball nine times, and a number of those came as a result of him trying to do too much in the backfield.

Ward's improved late-season play generated a clear impact on the team overall -- the Titans were 2-2 in those four games and averaged 26.7 points per game. On the season, Tennessee averaged just 17.3 points per game prior to Sunday. Rookie receivers Chimere Diek and Elic Ayomanor also emerged to make some key plays for the Titans.

Ward ends his season with a 59.8% completion percentage, 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but those numbers don't tell the whole story. Ward showed flashes of greatness down the stretch, and that should encourage the Titans as they look toward the 2026 season.