Potential Giants' Draft Choice Sparks Controversy Over Early Exit from Bowl Game

Did Miami Hurricanes QB Cam Ward's decision to opt out of his team's bowl game after one half of play hurt his reputation?

Scott Salomon | Dec 30, 2024

Dec 28, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) drops back to pass against the Iowa State Cyclones in the first quarter during the Pop Tarts bowl at Camping World Stadium. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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New York Giants

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and director of player personnel Tim McDonnell were at the Pop Tarts Bowl in Orlando, presumably to get another look at University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward.

Hopefully, they got what they needed to see in the first half, as Ward decided to take himself out of the game after the first half to avoid a potential injury that could jeopardize his draft stock.

That decision has raised some red flags about his commitment to his teammates, especially after another high profiled quarterback prospect, Shederu Sanders of Colorado, stuck it out with his teammates in the Alamo Bowl.

The biggest issue with opt-outs, transfers, etc. is bad advice. Someone convinced Cam Ward this was the way to go. Now he'll have to answer for it over and over and over from now until the NFL Draft is done. pic.twitter.com/ak307oQEQt
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) December 29, 2024

Ward’s decision to opt-out after one half of the game contradicts what Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal told reporters on the Friday before the game.

"Nowadays, in college football, we are compensated at all levels, right? Coaches, players, administrators - to do a job," Cristobal said.

"And you must finish the job. I think Cam's DNA, his upbringing, everything he's made of and stands for is the right kind of stuff. The stuff you want your team made of."

Cristobal was wrong, as Ward did not finish the job.

I don’t care what anybody says , Cam Ward sitting out the second half of this game is a disgrace to the game of Football. Either you riding with us one last game or opt out to begin with ! It’s BS !
— Coney Durr (@CD16ERA) December 29, 2024

Granted, Ward had a brilliant first half. He went 12-of-19 for 190 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in the first half.

By not finishing the job and watching his team lose by one point, it’s just not a very good look and figures to be one that Ward will have to explain when he commences draft interviews with NFL teams who question his commitment to the team.

Cam Ward is a self-centered punk. He played just enough to get the TD Record, then abandoned his teammates when it mattered and had no problem watching his team blow a lead and lose the game. I can’t stand guys who behave like that.
— T.J. Moe (@TJMoe28) December 29, 2024

There is some who believe that had this been a playoff game, instead of a glorified exhibition gamee (albeit one that still counts in the team’s final rankings), Ward would have gone the distance.

But he didn’t and in making the decision he did, Ward sent the wrong message in that after he set a personal record by throwing his 156th touchdown pass to become the NCAA all-time leader in passing touchdowns, he walked away from his team, who lost the game.

Cam Ward quitting on his team halfway through a game because he already broke some personal record is everything that is wrong with college football.
— Bert Gallagher (@RGallagher) December 29, 2024

Cristobal, in his post-game press conference, decline to share any insight into any discussions he had with Ward regarding the decision for the quarterback to sit out of the second half.

"I think all meetings with players and decisions like that, we make them in private and we keep them in private," Cristobal said. "So, I'll defer to not answering questions as it relates to that."

Regardless of the real reason, it’s not a good look for a player who plays a sport in which coaches constantly emphasize the importance of finishing, both plays and games.