The San Francisco 49ers returned to practice on Wednesday, but star cornerback Charvarius Ward was not in attendance. He has been excused from the team to be in Dallas for the funeral services of his daughter, Amani Joy, who tragically passed away last week.
The 49ers have fully supported Ward during this challenging time and plan to give him as much time off as needed. When asked about the timeline for his return, head coach Kyle Shanahan responded, "I haven't told him any [timeline]. We haven't even gotten there yet. I know they're having the service, I believe, this Friday for Amani. I know he is out in Dallas right now, and we're on his time with that. So just whenever he's getting close to ready."
Shanahan clarified that the NFL did not offer the 49ers a bereavement roster exemption for Ward while he is away. Admittedly, the coach never really had to think about it until this situation, which has been emotionally challenging for him as a father of three.
"It's tough, but everybody handles those things differently," Shanahan said. "You never know—I don't even like to think of how I would react because you don't know until it happens. So, just something where you've got to be there for someone, and there's no right or wrong way to do it. It's whatever works for the person."
As the 49ers prepare for Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium, there is a strong possibility that Ward will be unavailable. However, given the circumstances, neither the coaches nor his teammates are concerned about his absence. They are fully committed to supporting him in any way they can.
Rookie cornerback Renardo Green will likely make his first NFL start if Ward is unavailable for the Week 10 matchup.
