Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward has a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder, and he said Monday that he does not need surgery for now as he heads into the offseason.
Ward, the No. 1 pick in last year's NFL draft, had tests Monday after he exited Sunday's loss to Jacksonville in the first quarter. He said he's relieved that the diagnosis was less severe than originally thought, and that the plan is to let the injury heal.
"There is relief for myself, for the building and the training staff," Ward said. "They are going to get it right, continue to walk me through the process [and] what I need to do to get better and get back on the field. I just need to heal."
Ward was injured on the Titans' first drive of the game when he landed awkwardly on his right shoulder as he dove into the end zone to cap off a 7-yard touchdown run to give the Titans an early 7-0 lead.
Ward, the only quarterback in the NFL to have taken all his team's snaps through Week 17, was later seen on the sideline in the second half with his right arm in a sling. The rookie had played all 951 snaps on offense for the Titans up to the point he was injured.
He said he doesn't know what the timeline for recovery and rehab will be, but he said it won't alter his offseason schedule.
"I'm working on my base of my mechanics; I'm not changing my throwing motion," Ward said. "So the timetable for what I have set to get to mechanically [this offseason], what I need to do, is still on schedule."
