Understandably, 2024 was a year now-Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward would like to forget.
There was the unimaginable tragedy he endured during what ended up being his final season with the San Francisco 49ers. Namely, the too-young passing of his daughter in the middle of the season, which he subsequently admitted put him into an odd state for the rest of the year.
That led to Ward foreshadowing an exit from the Bay Area, citing the understandable trauma associated with remaining with the Niners.
Turns out, though, there may have been additional reasons that weren't discussed before a recent conversation with The Athletic's Mike Silver.
And it sounds as if Ward held a bit of resentment toward San Francisco regarding how things ended.
Charvarius Ward was upset at not getting an extension offer from 49ers
In hindsight, it might have been clear the 49ers weren't going to extend Ward, an All-Pro pending free agent who just happened to hit the open market during an offseason when the front office was trying to trim both age and costs.
But Ward was aware of the Niners' intent not to extend or re-sign him long before the 2024 season began, and he broke down how that ruined his motivation:
"Even before everything happened with my baby, I really wasn’t super motivated. Because after the year I had in ‘23, I wanted a contract extension — because I wanted to stay — and I knew I wasn’t getting a contract offer. They came to me and kind of told me what it was, because they had (other) people to pay. So it kind of had me in my feelings a little bit. I just never made it public.
I was hurt when I realized I wasn’t getting a contract extension or even an offer for an extension. So, I wasn’t motivated; like, from OTAs all the way through camp, I was kind of pissed off. I knew when the season started, it was a wrap for me in the Bay.
"
San Francisco opted to pay a younger up-and-coming cornerback, Deommodore Lenoir, instead.
While Ward was excited for his now-former teammate, he did admit feeling a bit slighted:
"They probably like Demo a little bit better. He’s a little more physical and aggressive than me. I can lock anybody down. Kyle [Shanahan] and John [Lynch], they want head-busters. I mean, I’m not mad. He got what he deserved. All-Pros don’t grow on trees, though."
Statistically, Ward had a down year with the 49ers after being named a second-team All-Pro in 2023. But it's hard to fault him for it after everything he went through, now including the realization he wasn't going to be part of the Niners' long-term plans.
So, when free agency opened in 2025, the veteran cornerback inked a three-year, $54 million contract with Indy.
While there may be some resentment there from Ward's perspective, he also admitted to Silver he doesn't harbor any ill feelings toward both Shanahan and Lynch.
"They kept it real all year," the cornerback said of Shanahan and Lynch. "They never hid anything from me, so that’s why I respect those guys. It’s all love."
Ward's tenure in San Francisco might have ended on a sour note, but there's no questioning the 49ers wouldn't have been able to reach the Super Bowl in February of 2024 without his contributions.