San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward is set to become a free agent in March, and he'll likely hit the open market. While the 49ers would love to bring him back for the 2025 season, the price may be too high, with the team preparing to allocate a significant portion of their salary cap to quarterback Brock Purdy.
On Tuesday, Ward took to social media to share the mindset he'll bring to whichever team he joins—or rejoins—stating that he's "hungry."
Whatever team I'm on next year gone get the best version of ME. I'm HUNGRY.
— Charvarius Ward (@itslilmooney) February 4, 2025
After the season, Ward made it clear that a return to the 49ers might not be in his future. He faced an emotionally difficult 2024 campaign, dealing with the tragic and sudden loss of his daughter, Amani Joy. While the team was supportive during the challenging time, Ward labeled 2024 as the "worst year of my career."
Taking time away from the team to grieve, Ward found it hard to focus on football when he returned, constantly reminded of his loss.
"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."
While Ward hasn't completely ruled out returning to the 49ers, he remains uncertain about his future.
"But, like I said, stuff can change," he added. "I can get stronger and probably get over that, so we'll see."