NFL locals: Cam Ward suffers injury to end rookie season with Tennessee

Although it was an overall rocky rookie season for Cam Ward (Washington State) – including a tough break in the finale that saw the Tennessee quarterback leave the game early with an injury – there were also flashes of promise from the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Ward ended his season on the sideline with his throwing arm in a sling after suffering a shoulder injury in the first quarter of the Titans’ 41-7 loss at Jacksonville on Sunday. He completed 3 of 3 passes for 52 yards and scored on a 7-yard run to end Tennessee’s first drive – he sustained the injury when a defender landed on him as he fell across the goal line and did not return. According to the Athletic, Ward’s injury is believed to be a Grade 3 AC sprain, which typically requires six to nine months of recovery time.

Until Sunday, Ward hadn’t missed a play during his rookie season. He was the only NFL QB to have taken every snap for his team through Week 17, per ESPN.

The Titans finished 3-14, but Ward showed clear strides late in the year. Over the last seven games prior to Sunday, he threw for 1,357 yards and totaled 11 touchdowns against one interception, leading Tennessee to two wins in that stretch.

On the season, Ward passed for 3,159 yards and 15 TDs with seven interceptions on a 59.8% completion rate. He also rushed for two TDs.

Ward finished last in the NFL among starters in QBR (32.2) and took 55 sacks, tied for most in the league. But he was put in a difficult situation with a rebuilding Titans team, and exhibited some of the talents that made him a pro prospect at WSU (2022-23) and a Heisman finalist at Miami (2024) – his improvisational skill in the pocket and his arm talent, the ability to complete highlight-reel passes from difficult angles, stood out.

• Efton Chism III (EWU), coming off a memorable game last weekend, continued to show his offensive value, catching a sideline pass for 35 yards on New England’s second possession.

That was Chism’s only target during the Patriots’ 38-10 win over Miami, but the undrafted rookie receiver has to feel encouraged about his future after seeing his offensive role expand in the past two weeks. He had his first-career reception and first-career TD in a win over the New York Jets last weekend.

Chism logged 75 yards and a score on three catches during the regular season, and averaged 23.9 yards on 16 kick returns since making his NFL debut in October. It’ll be interesting to see how the Pats employ the EWU great going forward.

• Kyle Williams (WSU), a rookie receiver for the Pats, gained 5 yards on a WR sweep run, but recorded no other stats.

A third-round draft pick, Williams finished the regular season with 209 receiving yards and three TD caches on 10 grabs. He also averaged 26.4 yards on 11 kick returns.

• Christian Elliss (Idaho), a starting linebacker for New England, matched the team-high with eight tackles.

The fifth-year pro finished the season second on the team with a career-high 94 tackles, adding three pass breakups and one forced fumble during his second full season with the Pats and first year as a consistent NFL starter. An undrafted player in 2021, Elliss had his most productive season yet and solidified himself as a solid pro defender.

• Jaden Hicks (WSU), a backup safety for Kansas City, recorded three tackles and a PBU during the Chiefs’ 14-12 loss to Las Vegas.

Hicks played a limited defensive role in his second season after being selected in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. He finished the season with 42 tackles and half a sack. Hicks didn’t have an interception after recording three during his promising rookie campaign.

• Jaylen Watson (WSU), a starting cornerback for Kansas City, was placed on IR late last month with a groin injury and missed the season finale.

Watson has blossomed into a key defender after being selected in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. He established himself as an every-down starter this year, the final season of his rookie contract with Kansas City, and boosted his value on the free-agency market, registering a career-high 64 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks.

A two-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, Watson posted a possible farewell letter to Kansas City via Instagram on Friday.

”Dear CHIEFS KINGDOM, if this is the last ride I truly thank you for all the passion and support you’ve shown over the past 4 years,” Watson wrote. “The best 4 years of my life. From a 7th round draft pick out of Augusta, Ga I felt welcomed since the first day I walked in the building. Never in a million years I could’ve imagined being a 2X (Super Bowl) champ.”

• Daiyan Henley (WSU), a starting linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers, was held out of the team’s 19-3 loss to Denver as L.A. rested several key players ahead of the playoffs.

Henley finished the season with a team-high 103 tackles (five for loss), 3.5 sacks and two interceptions. A first-year team captain, Henley has become an NFL notable in three short seasons after being selected in the third round of the 2023 draft.

• Kaden Elliss (Idaho), a standout linebacker for Atlanta, totaled six tackles and one pass breakup during the Falcons’ 19-17 win over New Orleans.

Elliss received the fifth-highest PFF grade (84.6) among defenders in the game.

The seventh-year pro started all 17 games this season – his third straight season doing so. A first-year team captain and rising name in the NFL, Elliss led the Falcons with 107 tackles (10 for loss) on the season, and posted 3.5 sacks.

• Frankie Luvu (WSU), a linebacker for Washington, had one tackle during the Commanders’ 24-17 win over Philadelphia.

Luvu had a down year after earning All-Pro honors last season. The eighth-year vet finished third on the team with 86 tackles (five for loss), adding three sacks and two forced fumbles.

• Jalen Thompson (WSU), a veteran starter at safety for Arizona, tallied a team-high 10 tackles during the Cardinals’ 37-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Thompson, a seventh-year pro, totaled 95 tackles this season – third on the team – along with six PBUs, one sack and one forced fumble. He started 15 games, missing two with an injury.

• Samson Ebukam (EWU), a defensive end for Indianapolis, matched a season high with five tackles during the Colts’ 38-30 loss to Houston.

The ninth-year vet finished the season with 33 tackles (five for loss) and two sacks in 14 games (one start). Coming off an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the entire 2024 season, Ebukam couldn’t return to his productive form of 2023, when he started every game and recorded 9.5 sacks for the Colts.

• Ryan Rehkow (Central Valley) averaged 44.4 yards on five punts for Cincinnati during its 20-18 loss to Cleveland, placing four inside the Browns’ 20-yard line.

The BYU grad entered the final week of the regular season ranked second in the NFL in punting average (51 yards per punt).

• Hogan Hatten (Idaho), the long snapper for Detroit, made his second tackle of the season during the Lions’ 19-16 win over Chicago.

Hatten held down long-snapping duties for Detroit in every game over the past two seasons.