Chantel Ward, the older sister of Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward, says her family has been targeted with “threats, harassment, and bullying” from fans upset over her brother’s rocky rookie season.
Cam Ward, the Titans’ 2025 first-round draft pick, struggled again Monday as the winless Titans fell 12-7 at home to the New York Giants. That night, Chantel Ward, 27, posted a statement on her Instagram account describing what she says her family endures after games.
“The fact I even have to post this is diabolical,” she wrote.
“People see the football games. They see the wins, the losses, the interceptions, the touchdowns, the press conferences and everything that happens on the field. What they don’t see is what comes with it for the people who love these players when the game is over.”
She said the abuse comes directly through her social media inboxes.
“After games, people come directly to my DMs on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with threats, hate, bullying, personal attacks, and disrespect toward me and my family – all over football.”
Ward drew a clear line between fair criticism of her brother’s play and attacks on his family. She said she has no problem with fans venting about the team’s performance.
“Criticize the game. Criticize a play. Be frustrated with your team. That’s sports, and I completely understand that. But seeking out a player’s sister, parents, or other family members to personally attack them because you’re upset about what happened on a football field is something completely different.”
She said the distinction between the public figure fans see and the brother she knows gets lost.
“Cam is a quarterback to y’all. He’s entertainment on Sundays. To me, that’s my little brother. Somebody I’ve loved, protected, supported, and watched work for his entire life.”
Ward said people who send these messages then tell her not to take it personally.
“So when people come to my page or into my messages is disrespecting him, me or my family, and then tell me, ‘Don’t take it personal’ – how exactly am I supposed to take it? And trust me, the screenshots I share are only a fraction of what comes through. There’s so much that happens outside of those football games that people will never see.”
Ward shared one screenshot on her Instagram story showing a message that said her brother “shouldn’t play like a f——-g r — —d and people would come in here and congratulate you.” She did not post further proof of specific threats, but said the messages are a recurring problem for her family.
“Criticize football all you want. Criticize performance. Criticize the decisions. That comes with the territory. But threats, harassment, bullying, and attacking someone’s family will never be just part of the game.”
It is unclear whether the Ward family has reported any of the messages to law enforcement or notified the Titans organization. The Titans did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
