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Two stars, one an experienced veteran and the other a number one choice, came in a heated blend under a burning Hot Tennessee Titans practice on Monday.
Quarterback Cam Ward, the first overall choice of the 2025 NFL draft, and the defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons was spotted getting into it after a theater piece late in practice.
Ward threw a touchdown to the wide receiver Calvin Ridley, and when he went to celebrate, he stopped in front of Simmons to tease him with his trademark “Zombieland” party – something Simmons is known for after making great defensive spectacles.
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Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward and DT Jeffery Simmons entered a physical quarrel on practice on Monday 18 August 2025. (Getty)
Simmons didn’t like it a bit and pushed Ward in the face mask with both hands.
It triggered Titans’ offensive line to quickly rush to protect their quarterback, including left tackle Dan Moore Jr.
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“Definitely not,” Moore said, when asked if anyone is allowed to touch quarterback, per. Espn. “It goes without saying.”
Both players were eventually separated. Simmons lost his helmet during the physical quarrel and left the field while Ward continued to run the next game.
Titan’s head coach Brian Callahan didn’t let it slip. After practice, he got the whole team to run in 96-degree heat.
“You get the same attitude, confidence, the same edge every day out of these two guys,” said cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. After practice. “That’s what you expect. But when it happens to quarterback, you have to break it up as soon as possible. But brothers are fighting.”
Jeffery Simmons #98 of Tennessee Titans leads a hug before a NFL football match against Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 11, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
There had been some suspense building in the past when Ward and Right Tackle JC Latham jaw with Simmons after a short Yard Touchdown driving back by driving Julius Chestnut back. Simmons had spoken the trash to the offense, and Ward and Latham fired back from the mug.
Ward then threw Touchdown to Ridley and decided to keep the rivalry going, which led to the clash.
While a competitive advantage – even among teammates – is encouraged during NFL training camps, no one wants to see quarterback involved in physical quarrels. However, Simmons would not let Ward mock him with his own party, although the titans clearly want to draw a line with these confrontations.
“You’ll never see your quarterback in the middle of that kind of thing,” Brownlee added. “But when that happens, it shows you the kind of dog he has in him. He won’t take anything.”
Cam Ward No. 1 of Tennessee Titans looks at after Tennessee Titan’s training camp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park on July 23, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
Ward, who went only 2-of-7 in 42 yards in his second preseason game this weekend, has one last tune-up against the Minnesota Vikings Friday, before his regular season debut against Denver Broncos on September 7.
