It doesn’t appear likely the San Francisco 49ers will be able to keep cornerback Charvarius Ward in the Bay Area when Ward officially hits the open market on March 14.
Regardless of whether the 49ers can or will pay the 2023 All-Pro, Ward indicated after the season that the personal trauma he suffered while playing for the 49ers made California a difficult place for him to be.
Losing Ward would be tough because the 49ers don’t have an immediate replacement lined up. It would be even tougher if the projected landing spot for Ward from USA TODAY is correct.
USA TODAY’s Tyler Dragon listed the Detroit Lions as the best fit for Ward in free agency. He could bolster a secondary that dealt with some consistency issue two years ago and was hampered by injury last season. Detroit would undoubtedly get better if they had Ward in their secondary, and that’s bad news for San Francisco.
The 49ers after a down year in 2024 are expecting to be back in the Super Bowl mix in 2025. One of the biggest obstacles in the NFC, aside from reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia, are the Lions who met the 49ers in the NFC title game two years ago before suffering a divisional round defeat at the hands of the Washington Commanders this year.
Detroit was badly beat up last season and it showed in their playoff defeat. They figure to be healthier and better in 2025, putting them firmly in the contender category.
Ward understandably struggled in 2024. That he returned at all after the death of his one-year-old daughter is a strong testament toward his character as a person and as a player.
On the field he was outstanding in 2023 when he earned Second-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods for the first time in his career. He also led the NFL in pass breakups with 23 that season. Replacing him from a production and leadership standpoint won’t be easy for San Francisco.
The 49ers have a tall mountain to climb to return to championship contention. It will get a little taller if they lose Ward. It’ll get even taller if he lands with a top NFC contender like Detroit.
