49ers corner Ward undergoes successful core muscle surgery

49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward underwent successful core muscle surgery on Thursday, confirming the procedure to NBC Sports Bay Aera. Ward originally announced the successful procedure on social media, but did not include specific details. The standout corner suffered the injury to his groin/core muscle area in the 49ers' Week 14 win over the Seattle Seahawks, leaving the game after playing only four defensive snaps. Ward was on the injury report the following week, missing two practices, but returned to the lineup in Week 15 vs. the Arizona Cardinals where he appeared on the field for 62 defensive plays, or 84 percent. Outside of Ward's groin injury, the defensive back was on the injury report in Weeks 1 and 5 with a heel injury, but did not miss a game. Ward received his first Pro-Bowl honor in 2023, after appearing in all 17 regular-season games and every postseason contest racking up an NFL-most 23 pass breakups and a career-high five interceptions. Ward received the fifth-highest overall grade of all cornerbacks who were on the field for 800 snaps or more by PFF and the third-highest coverage grade. Ward is under contract through the 2024 NFL season after signing a...