NFL scheduler Mike North makes feelings known on Cam Ward's Titans getting zero primetime games in 2025

NFL scheduler Mike North discussed the decision to exclude the Tennessee Titans and No. 1 pick Cam Ward from primetime slots in the 2025 schedule.

North is the vice president of broadcast planning and oversees the NFL's schedule creation process. He works with commissioner Roger Goodell to finalize game times and dates for all 32 teams.

North shared his perspective on the Ross Tucker Podcast on Thursday.

"It wasn't intentional," North said. "I mean, you know how this works. We've probably got a dozen schedules in front of the commissioner last week. Some of those had the Titans on Monday Night Football. Some of them had the Titans in the TBD pool for Saturday for the NFL Network. It wasn't a conscious effort going in. Maximum zero Titans primes. It was more about a mixture of all the rest of what has to go into the soup."

The Titans stand as a clear outlier in NFL scheduling practices. According to USA Today, Cam Newton in 2011 was the only other quarterback selected first in the past 14 years who didn't receive at least one primetime game.

Between Newton and Cam Ward, nine quarterbacks were taken No. 1, and all appeared in national spotlight games. This includes Baker Mayfield, who began his rookie season as a backup.

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Mike North emphasized that past performance dictates scheduling decisions more than draft status. This philosophy explains why established stars received significantly more featured slots than unproven rookies, regardless of draft position or college hype.

The NFL's reliance on proven performers becomes clear when examining the distribution of primetime games. USA Today reports five quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, will appear in a combined 27 primetime contests this season.

This schedule leaves the Titans with 11 games slotted for noon CT Sunday kickoffs, which ESPN describes as:

"Minimal prime-time games, but worse -- as the Titans don't have any games under the lights."

This represents a further downgrade from last season, when the team received one primetime matchup, and in 2023, when they had two.

The decision comes despite Cam Ward's electric college career and the buzz surrounding him as the draft's top selection. Instead, Ward faces a challenging schedule that opens at Denver against Bo Nix and a tough Broncos defense. This is followed by a home opener against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2.

While the Titans have the fourth-easiest schedule based on 2024 opponent winning percentage (.450), they still face formidable tests throughout the season.