The San Francisco 49ers are set to host the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium in 2022. The exact date of that matchup probably won't be known until May. One 49ers player will circle that game against the Chiefs when the week-by-week schedule is finally released.
While taking questions from fans on Instagram Live (h/t Juan Cisneros of FOX4), Ward states that he would love to face Tyreek Hill and one other notable Chiefs star.
"I wish I could catch Tyreek," Ward admitted. "I'd love to put that boy to sleep. ... I'm looking forward to that matchup with [tight end Travis] Kelce, too. I'm looking forward to that matchup with Kelce. Please, somebody, go and tell him I said it. I'm looking forward. I can't wait. I can't wait until that matchup."
Ward has always been a very confident player, and asking fans to make sure Kelce knows he is looking forward to the matchup shows that. Ward earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 74.8 this past season, the second-highest mark of his career. In addition, his 91.3 tackling grade was a career-high.
Ward mentioned that before the 2021 season, he didn't think a tight end would get over 50 yards against him.
"Some of y'all was like, 'Oh, you're not that guy,'" Ward said of his doubters, per Cisneros. "Yeah, OK. ... I know I ain't, but did a tight end get over 50 yards on me? Matter of fact, did they even try to throw the ball to a tight end when I was covering? No sir, no ma'am."
In 2021, opposing quarterbacks owned a 56.8 passer rating when targeting the veteran 49ers safety. Kelce, on the other hand, is one of the best tight ends in the game. He has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his past six seasons, including this past season's 92-catch, 1,125-yard, and nine-touchdown campaign.