Titans QB Cam Ward ties unfortunate No. 1 pick record after being sacked six times in NFL debut

Ward tied for the all-time most sacks taken by a No. 1 overall pick in their NFL debut

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward entered dubious company in his team's 20-12 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 1, as he wound up tying the post-merger NFL record for the most sacks taken by a quarterback picked No. 1 overall in the draft in their NFL debut. Ward was sacked six times by the Broncos, tying a record that had previously only been held by 2002 No. 1 overall pick and former Houston Texans quarterback David Carr.

Per CBS Sports Research, Ward's six sacks taken were the same amount taken by Carr, who was sacked six times in his NFL debut, a 19-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 of the 2002 season. Ward and Carr's record slots just ahead of the five sacks that Kyler Murray took in his NFL debut, a 27-27 tie against the Detroit Lions in Week 1 of 2019.

Five things we learned from Sunday's Week 1 NFL games: Dolphins in deep trouble, Packers hype was deserved

Cody Benjamin

Ward's parallel with Carr is especially unfortunate in that the 2002 Houston Texans have long been considered the NFL's ultimate cautionary tale in throwing a quarterback to the wolves without a proper support system. Carr ended up being sacked an NFL-record 76 times in his rookie season, and went on to be sacked 249 in total during his time with the Texans.

Ward, the No. 1 overall pick out of Miami in this year's draft, still managed to give the Titans a fighting chance despite being let down by his supporting cast. The Titans were able to hang around and stay within one score of Denver, but they managed just 133 total yards of offense with more than their fair share of missed opportunities. The Titans will return to Nashville for their home opener in Week 2, where they will face the Los Angeles Rams.