The NFL regular season is over, and week 18 was relatively benign from an injury standpoint. We have one major injury that has the potential to bleed into 2026: Titans rookie Cam Ward. How is a grade III AC joint sprain managed? And will it impact his sophomore season? Brock Purdy suffered a stinger. Is this a concern for the Wildcard? The answers to these questions are below.
Quarterbacks
Cam Ward
Injury: Right AC joint sprain
Analysis: Just as the first overall pick was beginning to catch his stride, a diving touchdown led to a grade III AC joint sprain. AC joint injuries are interesting; most other injuries are graded I-III, whereas the AC joint is graded I-VI, meaning a grade III sprain is not the worst scenario. A grade III sprain is challenging, however, as it is the grey area between needing surgery or being able to conservatively rehab back to full strength.
Ward is set to attempt to rehab first, and presently the Titans believe this will be sufficient. In many cases, grade III sprains can be successfully rehabbed, though the athlete will likely have a deformity long term (impacts aesthetics but not function). If rehab fails, Ward will undergo surgery, which has a 5-6 month rehab timeline.