Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward certainly circled his team's Week 16 showdown against the San Francisco 49ers when the 2025 NFL schedule came out last spring.
After all, squaring off against a former employer and plenty of old friends is always exciting.
Plus, even though it wasn't exactly an acrimonious relationship, it sure seemed as if Ward wanted to get out from the Niners last offseason, both for financial and understandably personal reasons in regard to his own family traumas.
Unfortunately, the 2023 second-team All-Pro won't get the chance to suit up against San Francisco, thanks to yet another concussion suffered, his third over the course of his first season in Indy.
The head injury landed Ward on injured reserve, and at this point of the season, it wouldn't be a shock to consider the concussion a season-ending setback for the 29-year-old veteran who spent his previous three seasons with the 49ers.
As tough as that is, both for Ward and those Niners looking forward to seeing him again, the defensive back's long-term career has to be a serious worry point, too.
Charvarius Ward's career might be in danger after latest concussion
Granted, it'll ultimately be up to Ward and his camp to decide whether or not stepping away from football would be the right move in light of so many head injuries of late.
But, he's already shed light on it, namely after the second concussion suffered in Week 6.
"I was kind of doubting if I was gonna play football again because it was like that scary," Ward told reporters prior to his return in Week 12. "It was that scary, you know what I mean, because I was thinking about my life outside of football, too."
Ward has appeared in just seven games this season, and that'll likely be his full number for the entirety of 2025. And his loss is also devastating to a once-hot Indianapolis squad that not only saw star cornerback Sauce Gardner beset by a multi-week injury but also lost resurgent quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 14.
As for Ward, one can only hope he recovers fully and is able to maintain his health, particularly in light of the recent frequency of concussions that have brutalized his post-San Francisco career.