Along with former Giants washout QB Daniel Jones, the Indianapolis Colts have added to their defensive corps with the addition of Niners DB Charvarious Ward. The 28-year-old will earn up to $60 million over three years, with a $35 million guarantee over that time. The move also frees up a considerable amount of cap space for the 49ers, as some of their other DBs were making more than the team could afford to keep Ward.
Ward, originally an undrafted pick out of Middle Tennessee State, had a bit of a decline season in 2024, which was hampered by the sudden death of his 1-year-old daughter. Despite the personal tragedy, Ward is still a consistent starter, playing in all 12 games he’d start in 2024. His 2nd season with the 49ers saw him start in all 17 games, racking up 56 solo tackles and asssting on 16, which gave him his first Pro Bowl appearance. 2024 saw Ward log 38 solo tackles and assist on another 16, but he’d miss out on Pro Bowl selection due to him sitting out a few games.
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SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 12: San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward (7) reacts to a missed opportunity during a NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers on December 12, 2024 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
After missing the postseason on a beat-up 49ers team, Ward goes to the Colts, a team that has had an even longer postseason drought, as their last appearance was in 2020, a 27-24 heartbreaker against Buffalo on the road in the AFC wild card. Indianapolis has had to rework several things on both sides of the ball, and Ward should be a good sized piece of the puzzle.
The 2023 season was one of Ward’s best besides getting his first Pro Bowl nod, as he picked up 5 interceptions that season but saw that number go back to zero in 2024. Still, he’s managed at least 1 or more picks every season up until last, making him one of the NFL’s premier cornerbacks. His partner in Renardo Green also had a decent 2024 season, picking up 40 solo tackles and 20 assisted tackles in all 17 games, though he only started 7 of those.
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LANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 31: Charvarius Ward #7 of the San Francisco 49ers runs with the ball after making an interception against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on December 31, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
Now, the 28-year-old DB joins a Colts team that has been quite busy in adding more than a few pieces to its defensive lines, both in the trenches and out wide. Ward was also likely to become a free agent as the 49ers couldn’t quite retain him after giving another DB in Deommodore Lenoir a fresh 5 year, $92 million extension. The 25-year-old 2021 5th round pick out of Oregon had 2 interceptions along with 53 solo tackles and 32 assisted takedowns, which may have given him the top spot on the 49ers DB corps.
Clearly, the Colts are going all in for free agency this year, as they’ve also reworked some of their offensive weapons at QB, RB and WR. They made a big splash earlier today by signing former Giants QB Daniel Jones to serve as backup to young budding star Anthony Richardson. Now the question is whether or not Richardson can stay healthy, as his last two seasons have been partially derailed by injuries to his shoulder and head. That is one thing that has contributed to the Colts’ long playoff drought, their last appearance in 2020, as mentioned earlier.
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – OCTOBER 08: Anthony Richardson #5 of the Indianapolis Colts reacts after an injury during the play against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
For the 49ers, Ward’s departure leaves the team with Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green as their core cornerbacks. As mentioned earlier, the former recently signed a large extension that will likely put him at the top of the depth chart for the 2025 season. Besides these two decent DBs, the Niners can potentially add another in free agency, given that position has been hot among all the other teams in the last couple of days, or via this year’s draft in just over a month from now. The Colts have, as you might have expected, been one of the busier teams in digging through the defensive back pile.
Throughout his 7 year career before he’ll eventually join the Colts, Ward has a total 10 interceptions and 70 passes defended in a seven-season career that began with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018. That made him a Super Bowl champion in 2019, his 2nd in KC before he was dealt to San Francisco ahead of the 2022 season. Now, Ward is on the move again, joining the Colts for his 3rd different team in his 7 years in the NFL. Hopefully, he can keep his great defensive numbers up even as he switches teams yet again.
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