The 2025 NFL Draft begins on Thursday and all reports seem to indicate Miami quarterback Cam Ward will be the No. 1 overall pick and join the Tennessee Titans. Ward, 22, would likely enter training camp with the expectation of beating out 2024 starter Will Levis for the starting job.
But first things first, Ward will have to decide what number he wears as an NFL player. He wore No. 1 in his time at Miami and Washington State but he also wore No. 7 to start his college career at Incarnate Word.
If Ward is, indeed, destined to be come a Titan, he would not be able to choose No. 1 as it has been retired since 2006 in honor of long-time Houston Oilers QB Warren Moon. The franchise moved from Houston to Nashville in 1997.
Legendary Oilers QB could give up number for Cam Ward if he's drafted by Titans
Moon spoke with journalist Paul Kuharsky on Wednesday and said he was considering letting Ward wear his number as a rookie.
"I'm thinking about it," he said, adding he still needed time to mull it over.
Ward only chose No. 1 when he arrived at Washington State because the school had already retired the No. 7 in honor of center Mel Hein, a member of the school's 1930 Rose Bowl team. That being said, he's revealed he's not married to his most recent jersey designation if it's not an option.
"One right now, but we'll see when I am in the league," he said in a TikTok interview on Tuesday. "It just depends on what team I go to, what number they got. So we're hoping to stay with one. If not, I'll just switch my number."
It would be a significant and rare thing for Moon to willingly unretire his number. Ahead of the 2024 season, the New York Giants unretired their No. 1, previously worn by Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Flaherty, for wide receiver Malik Nabers. The first-round pick (No. 6 overall) received the Flaherty family's blessing before donning the number last year.
Ward's talents and potential professional ceiling offer less risk than most other prospects that could inherit legendary numbers. Moon has every right to take his time in making his decision but there's a greater chance Ward would bring more honor to the digit than disappointment and shame.