Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, and Tyler Shough all got meaningful playing time as rookies in 2025, and all three are heading into 2026 with more questions than answers, according to CBS Sports.
Ward started from day one for the Tennessee Titans. Dart received in-game reps for the New York Giants by Week 2 and took over as the starter by Week 4. Shough stepped into the starting role for the New Orleans Saints in Week 9. Except for Ward's shoulder injury in Week 18 and Dart's two-game absence due to a concussion, all three held their starting spots through the rest of the season.
The numbers were uneven. Among 33 qualified passers in 2025, Ward ranked 32nd in expected points added per play. Shough was 29th. Dart finished 12th in that metric, but when excluding scrambles and rushes, he dropped to 22nd. All three played in far-from-ideal situations, dealing with coaching staff changes, limited on-field support, or both. Both Ward and Dart saw their head coaches fired during the season.
Ward may have shown the most encouraging late-season arc. He improved his touchdown-to-interception ratio from 6-6 through 11 weeks to 9-1 from Week 12 onward. He also did a better job avoiding sacks when pressured in the second half of the season, a meaningful development given his play style. His arm talent drew attention from those who were still watching. CBS Sports noted that his rookie year was not entirely unlike that of the previous year's top overall pick, Caleb Williams, with similar strengths and similar struggles, including playing on time, accuracy, and limiting negative plays.
All three quarterbacks fit what CBS Sports described as the stereotypical highly drafted young quarterback mold: real talent, real holes in their game, and real questions going forward.
