Warren Moon bestows No. 1 on Cam Ward as Titans unretire jersey number

[CF DolFan]

Very cool gesture from HOFer Warren Moon! Cam Ward is a a really nice guy so it is cool to see him being rewarded. I can't imagine anyone being worthy to wear Marino's jersey but that's me.




“I just came here because I have a lot of respect for this young man,” Moon told reporters. “A lot of our journeys are similar in terms of all the things he was told, about not being good enough. Nobody gave him that great opportunity, but he just kept fighting and kept working.

“I wore the No. 1 for a lot of different reasons and I wore it for a long time, starting back in 1976 when I was in college. I think I wore it very honorably for the Houston Oilers organization to the point where I created a Hall of Fame career for myself. Now I’m part of the Tennessee Titans family and my Houston Oilers jersey will probably never be worn again, I hope it won’t, but the Tennessee Titans jersey is going to be worn by Cam, and Cam will be starting a new … freshness in this organization to revitalize it and get it back to where it was.”
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6309872/2025/04/25/warren-moon-cam-ward-titans-jersey-number/

[Spider-Dan]

If Warren Moon had played for the Tennessee Titans, this would be completely disgraceful.
Since he didn't, it's pretty meh.

Maybe the Texans will retire his number in Houston where it still means something.

[Pappy13]

If Warren Moon had played for the Tennessee Titans, this would be completely disgraceful.

Did you mispeak there or am I not understanding your comment? Why would it be disgraceful if Moon had played for the Titans? Wouldn't that be quite meaningful? I agree that the fact that he didn't play for the Titans it doesn't really mean much.

[Spider-Dan]

It would be extremely disrespectful to ask the greatest QB in the history of your franchise to unretire his number for some unproven rookie.

But since Moon never played a down for the Tennessee Titans, it doesn't really matter.

[Pappy13]

It would be extremely disrespectful to ask the greatest QB in the history of your franchise to unretire his number for some unproven rookie.

But since Moon never played a down for the Tennessee Titans, it doesn't really matter.

So you're saying that Moon wouldn't have done it if they were unretiring his number, but since they weren't it's meaningless. Yeah I can agree with that, but if it was Moon's idea to unretire his number that would have been a pretty big deal and not disrespectful to Moon at all.

[Spider-Dan]

They ARE unretiring his number so Cam Ward can wear it.  If the number is being worn in a game, it ain't retired.

I'm saying it's meaningless because Warren Moon never played a down for the Titans and there is no history of his achievements for Tennessee.  The fact that the Titans even consider him one of their "retired numbers" is a joke; in a just league, the entire history of the Houston Oilers should belong to the Texans.  The whole thing is as absurd as the idea of the Ravens "unretiring" Otto Graham's number for Lamar to wear.

[Pappy13]

They ARE unretiring his number so Cam Ward can wear it.  If the number is being worn in a game, it ain't retired.

Ok, I understand now. They are unretiring the number 1, but since Moon never wore the number 1 for the Titans it's meaningless. I didn't understand that the Titans had retired the number of a guy that never played for them. That's stupid, so unretiring it is just as stupid. It would have meant something if Moon did play for the Titans though.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Ok, I understand now. They are unretiring the number 1, but since Moon never wore the number 1 for the Titans it's meaningless. I didn't understand that the Titans had retired the number of a guy that never played for them. That's stupid, so unretiring it is just as stupid. It would have meant something if Moon did play for the Titans though.

The Oilers retired it.  The Oilers became the Titans.  This would be like the Commanders unretiring a number retired by redskins.

[Spider-Dan]

The Oilers retired it.  The Oilers became the Titans.  This would be like the Commanders unretiring a number retired by redskins.

It's worse than that, because at least Darrell Green has meaning to the Washington fanbase (despite the team name change).
Warren Moon is irrelevant to the Tennessee fanbase.

[Pappy13]

The Oilers retired it.  The Oilers became the Titans.  This would be like the Commanders unretiring a number retired by redskins.

Nah, that's not correct at least not according to Copilot. Moon's number was retired in 2006 after the Oilers had already become the Titans in 1999. I get why the Titans retired the number and all, but the Oilers should have done it. It really doesn't make sense for that number to be retired for the Titans when Moon never played for them. In my opinion technically the Titans retired the Oilers number 1, not the Titans number 1 which is what makes the whole story rather pointless. They are trying to make a story where there really isn't one. Don't get me wrong I like Warren and all and I'm fine with them letting Cam wear the number 1, but the message is a little off. It's not the same as the Commanders because they still play in Washington, Moon never played in Tennessee.

[masterfins]

IMO if you BOTH change cities and change mascot names, THEN the past franchise doesn't exist anymore.

[Dave Gray]

IMO if you BOTH change cities and change mascot names, THEN the past franchise doesn't exist anymore.

Agreed.

The Texans wearing Oilers throwbacks when they play the Titans is all kinds of fucked up trolling.

[Phishfan]

Agreed.

The Texans wearing Oilers throwbacks when they play the Titans is all kinds of fucked up trolling.

You have it backwards. The Titans wear the Oilers throwbacks.

[Dave Gray]

You have it backwards. The Titans wear the Oilers throwbacks.

Yes, that's what I meant.  Sorry. 

The fans in the stands in Tennesse (now the Titans) were Oilers fans.  What a dick troll.  The NFL should rectify that.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

You have it backwards. The Titans wear the Oilers throwbacks.

Has the Jets ever worn their Titans throw backs when playing Tenn?