Mario Cristobal defends Cam Ward from 'false narrative' surrounding bowl game exit

Mario Cristobal gave a passionate defense of QB Cam Ward sitting out the second half of Miami’s Pop-Tarts Bowl loss to Iowa State.

Ward, who could go on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, played one half of football before sitting the final 30 minutes. Emory Williams finished the game.

But safe to say, Cristobal hated the narrative of Ward “quitting” on the team.

“Bullshit,” Cristobal said, via Tim Reynolds.

Mario Cristobal, on the notion that Cam Ward quit in the bowl game: “Bullshit.”

He gave a very impassioned defense against what he calls “a false narrative.” The decision on the bowl game was predetermined based on his likely status as the No. 1 pick.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) January 13, 2025

Cristobal has been nothing but a staunch defender of Ward and his legacy at Miami, despite the QB being with the Hurricanes for just one year as a transfer.

“His play was spectacular,” Cristobal said. “But again, I think all the other stuff, the intangibles, the behind-the-scenes stuff, the getting to the, bringing players together, galvanizing a team and galvanizing a program, teaching guys how to watch tape, you name it. All the things that are required to be a really good Division I football player and great teammate, he was exemplary.”

For the time being, Ward and Shedeur Sanders appear to be the two best quarterbacks in this NFL Draft class. Still, it’s a razor-thin gap according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

“Razor-thin. Looking at the overall Big Board, we’re talking about Shedeur Sanders as my 14th-ranked player and Cam Ward as No. 17 overall. But the reality in the NFL is that quarterbacks are going to go early when you’ve got two teams as desperate for quarterbacks as the Giants and the Raiders are. And they have two very different styles of play. Shedeur Sanders, excellent pocket passer, terrific ball placement and accuracy. Great poise,” Yates said.

“That’s a trait that Cam Ward shares in common with him. Cam Ward, though, more of an ad-libbing type quarterback. He can make something out of nothing, a better overall athlete. Probably a stronger arm, as well. But these two players stack up very favorably to each other in this early portion of the pre-draft process.”

Dan Morrison contributed to this report