Cam Ward's first full day as a member of the Tennessee Titans included a passing of the torch between himself and Warren Moon, a Hall of Fame quarterback who also wore No. 1 for the franchise when they were known as the Houston Oilers.
On Friday, Moon embraced Ward while handing him his No. 1 Titans jersey, a symbolic gesture that symbolizes a new era in Nashville.
"I wore the No. 1 for a lot of different reasons," Moon told the assembled media. "And I wore it for a long time, starting back in 1976, and I think I wore it very honorably for the Houston Oilers organization, to a point to where I created a Hall of Fame career for myself.
"Now I'm part of the Tennessee Titans family, and my Houston Oiler jersey will probably never be worn again. I hope it won't, but the Tennessee Titans (No. 1) jersey is going to be worn by Cam, and Cam will be starting a new freshness in this organization."
Passing the Torch pic.twitter.com/M9NMA0H0uH
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 25, 2025
Moon described the admiration he has for Ward, this year's No. 1 overall pick who spent two years at Washington State before finishing his college career at Miami.
"I have a lot of respect for this young man right here," Moon said. "A lot of our journey is similar, as far as all the things that he was told throughout the journey about not being good enough. Nobody wanted to give him that great opportunity. But he just kept fighting, he kept working, kept showing leadership, perseverance, and here he is today, the number one overall pick in the National Football League draft. So that's the reason why I wanted to be here, just to let him know how proud I am of him."
It's safe to say that the Titans would love if Ward has a career similar to the one that Moon enjoyed.
Before playing in the NFL, Moon enjoyed a prolific, six-year run in the Canadian Football League that included leading his team to five consecutive league titles and becoming the first professional quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards in a season.
In 1984, the then-28-year-old Moon was finally given a shot in the NFL with the Oilers, who at that time were one of the NFL's worst teams. But the team steadily improved with Moon under center.
From 1987-93, Houston made the playoffs each season. During that span, Moon earned six of his eventual eight consecutive Pro Bowl nods while becoming one of the league's most prolific passers. He won consecutive passing titles during that span and led the league in touchdown passes during the 1990 season.
After his time in Houston ended, Moon enjoyed successful stints in Minnesota and Seattle (where he was named to the Pro Bowl at the age of 41) before retiring with the Chiefs after the 2000 season at the age of 44. In 2006, Moon became the first Black quarterback to receive induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
While Ward's NFL career is just getting started, it's clear that Moon feels that the Titans new quarterback can also have a long and successful pro career while wearing his old number.
