San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward underwent surgery earlier this offseason to repair a groin injury he suffered back in December, but he provided some positive news on his status with training camp around the corner.
I’m still rehabbing,” Ward said during an appearance on the Up & Adams Show. “So I’m trying to get back up to running full speed and everything. … But I feel good. I feel way better than it did a couple months ago. Even at the end last season, I was hurting pretty bad. My back, groin, abdomen was hurting pretty bad. But I fought through it; I pushed through it.”
Ward added that he would definitely be ready for training camp.
This is huge news for the 49ers, as Ward is a significant piece of San Francisco's terrific defense.
San Francisco is currently conducting OTAs. It will kick off its mandatory minicamp on June 4.
Charvarius Ward has broken out with the 49ers
Ward initially joined the 49ers in 2022 and had a very impressive debut campaign with the club, playing in every game and registering 87 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and 11 passes defended.
This past year, Ward was even better, once again appearing in every contest and racking up 72 tackles, five picks, a forced fumble, 23 passes defended and a defensive touchdown en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.
The 28-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Middle Tennessee State, was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent back in 2018.
He spent the first four years of his career with the Chiefs and established himself as a solid cornerback, earning a full-time starting job in 2019. That season, Ward recorded 74 tackles, a couple of interceptions, a forced fumble and 10 passes defended. He helped Kansas City win a Super Bowl that year, as well.
But while Ward as a nice player for the Chiefs, he has certainly broken out in San Francisco and has become one of the better corners in football.
Overall, the Niners' passing defense can actually stand to improve, as it ranked just 14th in the league last season. The 49ers are much better in stopping the run, where they placed third in the NFL in 2023.
The 49ers addressed their secondary in the second round of the NFL Draft, selecting Florida State cornerback Renardo Green. We'll see if Green ends up getting significant playing time alongside of Ward in 2024.
San Francisco is coming off of a season in which it won 12 games and finished with the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Niners made it all the way to the Super Bowl, where they lost a heartbreaker to the Chiefs in overtime.
The 49ers are considered the favorites to represent the conference in the Super Bowl once again next season as they try to avoid the dreaded Super Bowl hangover. Having a healthy Ward in tow will obviously make that quest a lot easier.
San Francisco will open its regular season against the New York Jets on Monday, Sept. 9.
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