Charvarius Ward and the Indianapolis Colts have agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth $60 million, Ward told The Athletic’s Michael Silver.
Ward was the highest-ranked cornerback and No. 6 overall player on The Athletic’s most recent top 150 free agents list. The 28-year-old spent the previous three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers after starting his career as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys.
Traded by the Cowboys to the Chiefs in the 2018 preseason, Ward played four seasons with Kansas City before inking a three-year, $40.5 million deal in 2022 with San Francisco. During his breakout season in 2023, Ward led the league in pass breakups with 23, nabbed a team-leading five interceptions, recorded 72 combined tackles and held quarterbacks to a 64.5 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Reference. He earned second-team All-Pro honors and was selected to his first Pro Bowl.
In 2024, the 6-foot-1 defender recorded seven pass breakups and 54 tackles. For his career, Ward has 10 interceptions — one returned for a touchdown — along with three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Last season was a trying one both on and off the field for Ward. On the field, he missed time because of hamstring and knee injuries. Off the field, he suffered a tragic loss with the death of his 1-year-old daughter, Amani Joy, in October and took a leave from the team. Ward also revealed that he nearly lost his newborn son, Charvarius Jr., early in the pregnancy, but the boy is now in good health.
Following the season, Ward indicated that the traumatic year might lead him to seek a new football home away from California.
“You know, I’ve got a lot of trauma in California,” Ward said. “There were great times, but the worst thing that’s happened to me — that’s probably ever gonna happen to me, knock on wood — happened in California. It just brings back bad memories.”
How he fits
Ward immediately slots in as one of Indy’s starting outside cornerbacks. Ward endured a down year last season amid injuries and tragedy, allowing 7.5 yards per target and a 116.6 passer rating, which were both his worst marks since 2020. However, he’s still more productive and reliable than any cornerback on the Colts’ roster not named Kenny Moore II. Ward has built a reputation for always being around the ball, evidenced by his 70 passes defensed in seven seasons, including 41 in 46 regular-season games over the past three years.
The addition of Ward, along with former Vikings safety Camryn Bynum, whom the Colts also agreed to terms with Monday, clearly shows Indy’s urgency to upgrade its secondary. Ward is another player for new Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to utilize amid his multiple schemes that place a heavy emphasis on the defensive backs’ versatility.
2025 impact
The first word that comes to mind regarding Ward is experience. Unlike last year when Colts GM Chris Ballard doubled down on his inexperienced cornerbacks during the offseason — only for that to backfire as they struggled during the 2024 campaign — he appears to have learned his lesson by acquiring Ward. The veteran cornerback has played in three Super Bowls, winning one, and 17 playoff games overall. By comparison, the rest of the cornerbacks on the Colts’ roster have only appeared in 12 playoff games combined.
Additionally, Ward’s arrival likely means the Colts won’t use any of their early draft picks on cornerbacks, so the third starting cornerback spot will be up for grabs amid players already on the roster. Jaylon Jones is probably the front runner at the moment since he’s started 27 games over the last two seasons, but Samuel Womack III (a teammate of Ward’s in San Francisco) and JuJu Brents will also have a chance to move up the depth chart this offseason.
Cap update
The Colts began Monday with a little more than $40 million in cap space, per Over The Cap, and a good chunk of it has likely gone toward Ward and Bynum. Their new deals will pay them $20 million and $15 million per season, respectively, but it’s unclear just how much cap space Indianapolis has left since it also restructured right tackle Braden Smith’s deal to create more room under the cap. Regardless of what the official number is, the additions of Ward and Bynum certainly raises questions about the Colts’ ability to re-sign starting right guard Will Fries, who’s believed to have a robust free agency market, as well as bring in another passer for what Ballard called an “open” QB competition involving 2023 No. 4 pick Anthony Richardson.
Outlook
After parting ways with former DC Gus Bradley, whose defenses never finished better than 24th in points allowed per game during his three-year tenure, the Colts have backed up the Brinks truck to take a big step forward in 2025. Ward and Bynum bring experience, production and high-IQ to the team’s new-look defense under Anarumo, who will likely take a more aggressive approach than Bradley’s zone-heavy and bend-but-don’t-break style.
(Photo: Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)
