When Warren Moon handed Cam Ward a No. 1 Tennessee Titans jersey in April 2025, it was meant to mark the start of a new chapter for the franchise. Now, with Ward struggling in his second NFL season, former NFL tight end Christian Fauria believes the young quarterback should lose the number that once belonged to the Hall of Famer.
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Fauria made his feelings clear on the Initial Contact podcast, arguing that Ward has not done enough on the field to represent Moon’s legacy. Former NFL guard Richie Incognito agreed with the criticism, taking aim at both Ward’s performances and Tennessee’s struggles.
“For everyone who saw and witnessed the great Warren Moon play quarterback wearing that jersey, wearing number one- it’s not fair to Warren Moon and his entire family and all the Houston Oilers fans for this guy to represent Warren Moon,” Fauria said on Wednesday.
“He looks like Warren Moon. He kind of runs like Warren Moon, but he doesn’t play at all like Warren Moon. Why can’t he wear, I have a suggestion until he starts playing like Warren Moon. Give him number 41. Number 40…a number that they give to players who that you know is not going to make the team in camp.”
Fauria went further, suggesting the Titans give Ward another number until his play improves. He even asked the team to hand him an “ugly number” instead of allowing him to continue wearing No. 1.
The comments come at a difficult time for Ward and Tennessee. The Titans fell to 0-5 after a 26-3 loss to the Houston Texans on October 11, extending a rough start to the 2026 season. Ward has completed 63.2% of his passes for 896 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions through five games. He also has a 3-19 record as an NFL starter.
Incognito was equally blunt about the quarterback’s struggles, although he acknowledged that Tennessee has not done enough to surround him with talent.
“Obviously, the Tennessee Titans s***. Cam Ward s****. I mean, it is what it is,” Incognito said. “But they have that funny commercial with Cam Ward and his family, and they’re talking about Cam Ward’s journey and no one wanted him out of high school, Miami was his only offer, and he goes there, and he blows it up.”
Incognito added that he had high hopes for Ward after the Titans selected him first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, but said the quarterback has not lived up to those expectations.
The criticism carries another layer because Moon personally approved Ward’s use of the number. The former Oilers star surprised Ward at his introductory news conference in April 2025 and presented him with a No. 1 jersey, which had been retired in honor of Moon’s time with the franchise.
Moon explained that he wanted Ward to create his own legacy with the number after the Oilers became the Titans. He also expressed confidence that the rookie could help revive the organization.
Ward also wore No. 1 at Miami. He called it an honor to wear the same number as Moon and said he hoped to reach that level one day. But Ward made it clear that he believes a player’s performance gives a jersey its meaning.
For now, Ward has a long way to go before his NFL career matches Moon’s Hall of Fame resume. Fauria’s demand to take away No. 1 remains an opinion from the podcast, not an actual move by Tennessee.
But with the Titans winless and Ward still searching for consistency, the jersey has become another talking point surrounding the young quarterback.