Charvarius Ward has proven himself as a key piece of the 49ers’ defense since signing with San Francisco in 2022, offering stifling coverage and an on-field toughness that’s hard to duplicate.
And after a stellar 2023 NFL season from Ward where he earned Second Team All-Pro honors, his efforts recently were recognized in PFF’s latest cornerback rankings.
Ward’s five interceptions and a league-high 23 pass breakups last season landed him the No. 3 spot, with PFF’s John Kosko listing the 28-year-old behind only New York Jets star Sauce Gardner (No. 1) and Trent McDuffie of the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 2).
“Ward seems to get lost in the debate when it comes to naming the best cornerbacks in the NFL, but he’s quietly put up the third-best coverage grade over the past two years (88.5),” Kosko wrote. “Perhaps it’s the overall strength of the 49ers team, the number of other superstars who overshadow him or the fact he plays on the West Coast, but Ward deserves more praise as one of the league’s best corners — he has locked down receivers in coverage since arriving in the Bay Area.”
Ward has put up those numbers while dealing with a core muscle injury for the last four seasons, he revealed during San Francisco’s mandatory minicamp in early June, and he recently underwent offseason surgery to fix the issue. The star corner expects to be back on the field for training camp and will enter the final season of his three-year, $40.5 million contract in 2024.
“I’d like to stick around,” Ward told reporters at minicamp of his 49ers future. “I feel like it’s a good team; they love me here. I love being here. I love my coaches and love my teammates, but I’ll just let my agent handle it. That’s the business side of things.
“I’m just going to do my job, go out there and ball, put the pressure on them and hopefully they give me a bag. If they don’t, I know it won’t be any bad blood between me and them; it will be a business decision. I’m pretty sure they would like to have me, and I’d like to stay for sure.”
It’s a safe bet the 49ers would like Ward to stick around, too, as the numbers make it clear he is one of the best defenders in the league.
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