Key 49ers defender says he is 'trying to get that bag' in 2024
The San Francisco 49ers have a lot of key players on defense. Perhaps the best player in their secondary is cornerback Charvarius Ward.
In a recent interview, Ward made it clear that he is trying to have a huge contract year in 2024.
Charvarius Ward says he is 'trying to get that bag' in 2024
Ward's comments came on the Up & Adams Show and the video comes courtesy of Coach Yac on X:
In 2022, Ward signed a three-year, $40,500,000 deal with the Niners. He was the key, undisputed No. 1 cornerback the Niners had been searching for since Richard Sherman left.
He had a respectable first season with San Francisco in 2022 where he played in all 17 games but only had one interception for the team. In 2023, he stepped things up. He played every game for the 49ers and had five interceptions, including a pick-six.
His efforts earned him an AP second-team All-Pro nod as well as a Pro Bowl nod. He truly established himself as an elite cornerback in the NFL.
It would have been possible for the Niners to extend Ward this offseason, but with the main focus being on wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's contract situation they likely did not have enough bandwidth to try to lock up Ward.
With 2024 being a contract year for Ward, he knows that if he performs similarly to how he played in 2023, then he will land a very big contract in free agency. It is fair to wonder whether that big contract would be with the 49ers.
Quarterback Brock Purdy, too, figures to land a big contract after the 2024 season, and that will mean the 49ers cannot commit as much money as they would like to later on.
Ward, and the Niners' secondary as a whole, could be a casualty of Purdy's likely big deal.
Ward was a huge part of the team's success in 2023. If the Niners get that same version of Ward in 2024, they could have another great year and Ward may very well get the "bag" he desires.