The San Francisco 49ers are coming off of a spectacular 2019-20 NFL campaign in which they won 13 games, captured the NFC West division title and made it all the way to the Super Bowl, but now, they are entering an offseason full of tough decisions.

The 49ers have key players such as wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, defensive lineman Arik Armstead and safety Jimmie Ward hitting free agency, and they don't exactly have a ton of cap room to work with.

Not only that, but San Francisco has to begin thinking about extensions for tight end George Kittle and defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, so to say that the Niners are a bit strapped for cash is putting it lightly.

Still, the 49ers players want to keep playing for the franchise.

First, Armstead said he preferred to remain in San Francisco earlier on Wednesday, and now, Ward is echoing the same sentiments.

“The 49ers have the upper hand right now,” Ward said, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. “This is where I would like to be. I like to continue playing for this great organization.”

Since entering the NFL with the Niners back in 2014, Ward has played just one full 16-game campaign, which was back in 2015. He appeared in 13 contests this past season, which was his highest total since 2015, and when he was on the field, he registered 60 tackles, a sack and eight passes defended.

The 28-year-old played all over the secondary from 2014 through 2018, but he hit his stride at safety in 2019 and should be fairly coveted on the open market as a result.