San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward is set to become a free agent in March, potentially marking the end of his time with the team. Surprisingly, his decision may have little to do with money.
Ward faced immense personal challenges in 2024. While he recently celebrated the birth of his son, Charvarius Jr., he also endured the tragic and unexpected loss of his one-year-old daughter, Amani Joy. Remaining in Santa Clara may be too emotionally overwhelming for the talented cornerback.
Reflecting on the past year, Ward called 2024 the "worst year of my career" while speaking candidly with reporters on Monday about his struggles.
"It was just an F'd up year all around for me, for sure," Ward said.
Charvarius Ward didn't rule out a return to the 49ers, but says he's suffering from PTSD following the death of his 1-year-old daughter — and some of it is location-based.
"I'll be throwing up, waking up in the middle of the night, sweating," Ward said. "I got a lot of trauma in… pic.twitter.com/uz4Q2TEuhp
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Ward took time away from the team after his daughter's passing, with the 49ers offering their full support, giving him all the time he needed. However, upon returning, the constant reminders of his loss made it challenging to focus.
"It took everything, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually," Ward shared. "It took all of that every day for me to just come here and be able to practice. I wasn't going to meetings half the time because my social battery was so low.
"It was just hard being around people. I didn't want people to feel sorry for me and everything like that. So, I just tried to show up and be there for my teammates because we had a chance to do something special, and we didn't."
Despite the hardships, Ward is determined to find new motivation this offseason. A desire to honor his family, including his daughter and son, fuels him. Ward revealed that some early discussions with the 49ers had occurred, though he understands his future with the team remains uncertain.
"I think they went into this season thinking they wasn't going to be able to afford me based off the way I played last year," Ward explained. "If I would have [been a free agent] last year, I probably would have been one of the highest-paid corners in the game.
"Obviously, this year didn't go my way or the team's way, so let's just see what the market's talking about. If they can afford me, it's a chance I can come back, but they may not be able to afford me.
"I just want to go to where I'm wanted and where I'm loved. I feel like that's what I need right now, a lot of love. And I know the Niners love me, but in this business, a lot of times, money talks."
While Ward hasn't ruled out a return to the 49ers, he admits that staying in California would be emotionally challenging.
"I got a lot of trauma in California," Ward admitted. "I had a lot of great times, but the worst thing that's ever happened to me, that's probably gonna ever happen to me ... happened in California. So, again, it just brings up bad memories. Like, every time I get on the plane to come back to California, Santa Clara, San Jose, and show up here, it's just where I got bad memories. I go through that every day.
"I go home every night by myself because my girl, she don't want to come back to California because of what happened. So, it's hard being alone, and she's my strength right now. I need her. And so, her not being able to be around me if I'm in California would be tough. But, like I said, stuff can change. I can get stronger and probably get over that, so we'll see."
Ward acknowledges that being closer to family would offer much-needed emotional support. However, he remains open to the possibility of staying with the 49ers if he can overcome his trauma—which he knows won't be easy.
"I get PTSD a lot," Ward remarked. "I'll be throwing up, waking up in the middle of the night all the time, sweating, and stuff like that. It's tough. It's tough, but we'll see how it goes. It's gonna be interesting, for sure."